Hotel New Century

Mount Fuji across the lake, at a Japanese-style hotel on the Kawaguchiko shore

Hotel New Century is a mid-size Japanese-style hotel on the lakeshore in the Asakawa district, on the northeast side of Lake Kawaguchi. Its greatest appeal is the setting: Lake Kawaguchi and Mount Fuji fill the windows of the guest rooms and the communal bath, and on clear, windless days you may catch the "Sakasa Fuji," the mountain mirrored upside down on the water. It is about 5 minutes by car from Kawaguchiko Station on the Fujikyuko Line, and a free shuttle car is available if you call ahead. From the Kawaguchiko IC on the Chuo Expressway it is about 10 minutes, and parking for 40 cars is free with no reservation required, which makes it an easy base for a family trip by car.

Mainly Japanese-style tatami rooms, easy for crawling-age babies

There are 27 Japanese-style tatami rooms, 11 Western-style rooms and 4 Japanese-Western rooms, so tatami rooms make up most of the hotel. The rooms have floor-to-ceiling windows so large that, lying on the tatami, you seem to be connected to the surface of the lake. In a tatami room the family can lay out futons and sleep side by side, and babies at the crawling stage can spend time there with little worry about falling. All rooms have free Wi-Fi and are non-smoking, with humidifiers available to borrow and individual air conditioning. The guest-room bathrooms, however, have only a shower booth and no bathtub, so children will bathe in the communal bath.

Sweeping views of Mount Fuji and Lake Kawaguchi from the top-floor onsen

The top floor has a communal onsen bath looking out over Mount Fuji and Lake Kawaguchi, along with a scenic rock bath built of lava, and a jacuzzi. The spring water is a calcium-sodium sulfate spring (a salt spring). Whether a private-hire bath or a baby bath is available is not stated, so families with infants may want to plan on also using the shower booth in their room.

At dinner, children choose their own main dish

Dinner mixes Japanese and Western dishes, and in an unusual arrangement each guest, adults and children alike, chooses a main dish individually from four options: the Koshu specialty hoto hot pot, beef sukiyaki, pork shabu-shabu, and a yosenabe hot pot with local mountain vegetables (upgrade plans offer five options). Preschool-age children are served a kids' meal for dinner, and elementary school children who would prefer the kids' meal can be booked under the preschool-age category. Dinner is served either in a private room or in the restaurant, which makes it easier to eat without worrying about other guests. Note that requests for food allergy accommodation may be declined, and egg allergies cannot be accommodated, so please confirm in advance if this applies to your family. The latest dinner start time is 7:30 p.m., and you need to contact the hotel if your check-in will be at 6 p.m. or later

Staying here with children

Check-in is from 3 p.m., with a last check-in at 7 p.m., and checkout is at 11 a.m. Accommodation plans on Rakuten Travel have children's rates, and for preschool-age children you can choose in detail whether meals and futon bedding are included. Access is good to family favorites such as Fuji-Q Highland, the Lake Kawaguchi sightseeing boats and Oishi Park. With a Rakuten Travel rating of 4.4 out of 5 (1,486 reviews), it has long been a favorite with families who come for the lakeside views.