Otomari Kikuya

Lake Yamanaka and Mount Fuji right in front, a room-only inn at the bus stop

Otomari Kikuya is a small inn of 7 rooms near the lakeshore in Yamanakako village. Step out of your room and Lake Yamanaka is right there. It is about 3 minutes by car from the Yamanakako IC on the Higashi-Fuji-Goko Road, and the Fujisan Yamanakako highway bus stop is right at the inn. Fuji-Q Highland and the Yoshida Trail on Mount Fuji are about 15 minutes away by car, and Fujiten Snow Resort about 20 minutes, which makes this a genuinely practical base for a Fuji Five Lakes trip. There is a convenience store within walking distance, and being able to arrive directly by highway bus without a car is a welcome thing with children in tow. It is a homey place, with regulars who have been coming for two generations; instead of lavish facilities and services, it offers reasonable rates and unpretentious hospitality.

Mainly Japanese-style tatami rooms, with family rates that are free for ages 2 and under

Guest rooms are Japanese-style tatami rooms sleeping up to 4 and twin rooms for up to 2, all non-smoking and with free Wi-Fi. In a tatami room you can lay the futons side by side and sleep together as a family, with no worry about anyone rolling off a bed. Official room rates are reasonable, starting from 3,500 yen per person, and the pricing is set up with families in mind: children aged 2 and under stay free, preschool-age children receive a 1,000 yen discount, and elementary school children a 500 yen discount. On the other hand, checkout is early at 10 a.m., and credit cards are not accepted, so payment is in cash. Amenities stay basic, with towels and yukata and little more, so this is a simple inn best chosen for its location and value rather than its facilities.

An artificial hot spring family bath, used privately in turns

The baths are fed by an artificial hot spring, a point of pride for the previous owner, and there is a large bath as well as a family bath with a jacuzzi. Staying guests use the family bath privately, taking turns rather than reserving a slot, so parents and children can bathe together without worrying about other guests, which is a real plus with little ones. Do keep in mind that you may have to wait your turn. About a 5-minute walk away is Beni-Fuji no Yu, a village-run onsen with five baths including an open-air bath, and the inn can tell you about discount tickets for it. Stretching your legs to a full onsen in a bath-hopping mood is well worth doing.

The adjoining Kikuya Shokudo and its famous Fuji no Meisui ramen

The inn is essentially room-only, but you can eat at the adjoining Kikuya Shokudo. Its Ultimate Fuji no Meisui Ramen, made with a secret broth of chicken bones, pork bones and dried sardines simmered in famed Mount Fuji spring water, is a specialty well known enough to have been featured in the local magazine Yamanashi-ken no Oishii Ramen (Delicious Ramen of Yamanashi Prefecture). The katsudon (a breaded pork cutlet rice bowl) made with the ramen broth and the wakasagi (pond smelt) set meal using smelt from Lake Yamanaka are popular too. Having a diner on site with dishes children happily eat is a dependable ally on a room-only trip, when finding dinner can otherwise be a struggle.

Tennis courts and a covered BBQ: making it work with children

The inn has 3 dedicated omni tennis courts, and the clubhouse offers a 3-hour private BBQ, with a full set of equipment provided and food brought in by guests. The wood deck is covered, so a BBQ is possible even on a rainy day. Check-in is from 2 p.m., and the official website gives 8 p.m. as the latest check-in time; please get in touch with the inn if you will arrive after 6 p.m. Play by the lake or at Fuji-Q during the day, ramen and the family bath in the evening, then a quick departure in the morning: this is a value-focused inn that suits families who want a light-footed base.