Our second Japan roadtrip in a campervan took us to the Fuji Five Lakes & Izu area for 2 weeks. This time we hired an Adria 540 SPT which was a much better van than the previous one we hired in Hokkaido. We hired this van from Michikake Caravan. If you mention my name you might even get a discount! Let’s see what I got up to 🙂
First of all we had to travel to Kamakura to pick up the campervan. We took a taxi to Ueno station and then the train to Kamakura. The owner picked us up at Kamakura and then he gave us a tour of the van. Once we had done the introduction we headed for some lunch with our friends at a local family restaurant. We stopped off at a lovely viewpoint in Hiratsuka before heading across to Hakone. We took a short walk around Lake Ashi before heading to the Hakone Tage michi no eki where we spent the night.
Day 2 Hakone, Mishima Skywalk & Gotemba Outlet Mall
Unfortunately we had an issue with a headlight so we headed to Yellow Hat to get that fixed before starting the day. Once that was sorted we headed to Mishima Skywalk. This is the largest suspension bridge in all of Japan at a whopping 400m long. Dogs are allowed to walk across but must be in a stroller. These can be hired from the ticket counter though at a reasonable price of ¥500. Once we’d walked across the bridge we were greeted with a dog park! I got to run around with some fluffy Jack Russel’s before we headed back across the bridge.
We then headed back into Hakone and went to the Komagatake ropeway which was less crowded than the more popular Hakone ropeway. Dogs are allowed, but like the ropeway at Kawaguchiko they must be put in a plastic crate during the ride. They do have them available for free though and it’s only a short ride so it’s not too bad. There were great views from the top of Mount Fuji and down below of Lake Ashi.
Once we got back down to sea level we headed to Gotemba Premium Outlet mall. Doggies are allowed in all the open spaces on a lead or in a stroller/carrier. The shops each have their own individual policies. Some allow dogs in strollers/bags others don’t allow at all. But no shops would allow on a lead. The humans did some shopping then we headed to our base for the night. Fujioyama Michi no Eki.
Day 3 | Lake Yamanakako
We had breakfast at the michi no eki before heading off. We headed towards Yamanakako which is one of the Fuji Five Lakes. En route we drove through lush fields of Pampas grass which we stopped briefly to take some pictures of.
When we arrived at Lake Yamanakako we found a bike shop and rented a couple of bicycles to cycle around the lake. In total it was just over 14km around the lake and actual cycle time was 1 hour and 10 minutes. We stopped for lunch at Dallas Village. It was a pet friendly place which even had it’s own dog run. So I got to stretch my legs while the humans had some lunch. The food was really good. They had BBQ options as well as Western style and Japanese. We opted for some karagge and beef stew in a bread bun which was delicious!
After our cycle we decided to try and find a campsite. We came across Sotosotodays camp ground which was right at the edge of the lake. It was the most expensive campe site we’ve ever stayed at, at ¥10,000 per night. However, we had the whole camp site to ourselves and the facilities were excellent. The showers and the toilets were brand new and super clean. There was a small shop too but that closed at 5pm. Showers were totally free and they had shampoo and shower gel as well which is a rarity. Given the location with a view of Fuji, right on the edge of the lake with the facilities it had, it was actually not a bad price.
Day 4 | Kawaguchiko, Saiko, Shoji & Mototsu Lakes
After we checked out of the campsite we headed towards the other lakes that make up Fuji Five lakes. We first stopped at Koumi park which was right next to Katsuyama michi no eki. This was a lovely park on the edge of Kawaguchiko lake. It would be a great michi no eki to stay at since there was so much greenery and a lovely view of the lake. We spent a while just wandering around and enjoying the scenery here.
Next we headed to Saiko lake which also has a great view of Mount Fuji. We were lucky enough to get a great view of her from the end of the lake here. We also stopped here for some lunch where we had some noodles. Whilst we had to sit outdoors, that was perfect as we got a great view of Fuji whilst slurping away.
We then drove around Saijo lake and headed towards the final of the Fuji Five Lakes, Lake Mototsu. We chose to stay at Kouan campsite. This campsite is famous as it’s the exact spot from which the ¥1,000 note is based on. With Fuji reflecting in the lake. Even though we just turned up they had space and it was only ¥3,600 which is pretty cheap considering how popular it is. There were no designated spaces you could set up where you wanted. By the time we got there all the lakeside spots were taken. It was a shame though as some people had taken up way more space than they should have.
In the end we set up at the top section which we actually ended up finding much better. It meant we weren’t totally crowded and we had a nicer view from a higher vantage point. Unfortunately the weather was dreadful. It was super windy, cloudy and rainy. So we didn’t get to see the famous view of Fuji 🙁
Day 5 | Shiraito Waterfall
When we woke up the weather was still dreadful so we packed up and headed off. Our first stop of the day was the Shiraito waterfall. The falls are made from the melt of Fuji, and after such heavy rain the fall was in full flow. There was no entry fee, only a charge for parking of ¥500. It was super nice as there was hardly anyone there so we got to experience calm and serenity.
After the falls we headed to Fujinomiya which has a lovely park with red tori gates, bridge and pond full of fish. We found a great Udon restaurant although I wasn’t allowed in so I stayed in the van to rest after a busy morning.
We stopped at a couple of michi no eki along the way and found a dog park at the Nambu one. The Fujikawa michi no eki was absolutely huge with so much space and greenery but it was totally deserted and felt pretty eerie so we decided to keep going and not to stay there.
We eventually came to Fujigawa michi no eki where we decided to spend the night. The humans went to a sushi go round restaurant before we had an early night. I saw early night, but we woke up at 4am to watch NUFC vs PSG in the Champions League game. Thankfully we woke up as it wa sa greta game and Newcastle won 4-1! A great way to end/start the day!
Day 6 | Minobusan
We woke up a bit later than planned as we wanted to climb Mount Minobu. We still headed over to Minobu and decided we still had time to do the climb. It was going to be a bit of a strenuous climb so I stayed in the van while the humans did the climb. As they’d started a bit late they only had time to climb up and had to get the ropeway down. They weren’t complaining that much though! It was a special time for them as at the top they got an amazing view of Fuji and it had had the first snow of the year! So it was a beautiful sight to see!
Once they got back down they came to get me and we walked around the temples and shrines at the bottom of Mount Minobu which was super nice. We managed to find a campsite right at the edge of the river and for the second time on the trip we had the whole place to ourselves! It was so nice to be able to walk along the river in such peace and quiet.
Day 7 | Lazy Day
Today we didn’t really do so much. We drove around for a bit stopping at a couple of michi no eki and ended up staying at Izu Gateway Kannamai. This was a great michi no eki which had a wasabi museum and a huge dog park to run around at!
Day 8 | Supercars & Camping with Friends
When we woke up we found we were surrounded by Supercars! There were so many Ferrari, Lambourghini etc. It was funny though as many people were still wanting to look at our campervan even with all these supercars around! After we looked around and had some breakfast we headed off to meet some friends at a nearby campsite. We chose the Mobility Park campsite as it had a lot of activities especially for kids. They had a big kids park, fishing and even an onsen! The boys managed to catch 3 fish which we cooked on the BBQ for our dinner 🙂
Day 9 | Entering Izu Peninsular
After breakfast we stopped at the Cycle Sports Centre which was a small theme park with rides for kids. Unfortunately the weather wasn’t great so we didn’t stay here for long. Instead we headed to Izu and had some lunch at Ito Marine town michi no eki. We went for soba and udon noodles to help warm us up. It was then time to say goodbye to our friends and we headed to another michi no eki (Izu no Heso) where we set up for the evening. We managed to get on some wifi and watched NUFC vs West Ham at silly o clock in the morning!
Day 10 | Joren Falls & Old Amagi Tunnel
The bad weather continued so we stayed at the michi no eki until around midday until the rain passed. We then headed on our way with our first stop being Joren Falls. After the rain the falls were in full flow. This is also an area where wasabi is grown so we got to see lots of wasabi fields. Wasabi can only grow where there is flowing water so there are only certain places where it can grow. The Izu Peninsular is one of those places and there were lots of opportunities to see fresh wasabi growing. There was the option to do a hiking trail from here, but since the weather was miserable we decided against it.
Instead, we headed further on and took a walk through the Old Amagi Tunnel. This is the longest existing stone tunnel left in Japan but it is unused these days as there is a new tunnel. En route we stopped at Amagi-goe michi no eki and had some wasabi ice cream.
We parked at the Suishochishita parking area to get to the tunnel, which is just off the main road where the parking was free. We walked from there which took about 30 minutes. You could actually drive pretty much to the entrance of the tunnel, but we enjoyed the walk up to it.
After the tunnel we headed to Izu Shimogamo Onsen Yunohana michi no eki where we spent the night. We had tried the Shimoda Minato michi no eki but strangely they didn’t allow cars to stay overnight so we had to move on. There were no shops open by the time we arrived and no restaurants within walking distance so we just cooked some food in the van before having an early night.
Days 11 & 12 | Ryugu Cave, Cape Irozaki & an amazing campsite
When we woke up we took a walk along the river. There were lots of hot springs around which was really cool. Then we got back in the van and made our way to the Ryugu Cave. The cave is in a heart shape when you look down at it from above. There are also some sand dunes next to it where people sand surf, although there was no-one there when we arrived. The cave is right next to a beach so we took a short walk along it and watched some guys surfing in the sea.
From there, we took a drive along the beautiful coast and headed to Cape Irozaki. The coastline was so stunning. I honestly couldn’t believe we were in Japan. The sky was clear and crisp and the sea was a stunning blue colour. Dogs are allowed at Cape Irozaki but can’t go through the main entrance, there’s a side entrance to go through. The walk was really nice, albeit quite a few steps.
After spending some time at the viewpoint we headed to find a campsite. The first we tried was closed, which was actually a good thing as we ended up finding Minami Izu Yuhi Gaoka campsite. It’s located at the top of a really steep hill and at first we didn’t think the van would make it. However, on the second attempt and a foot flat on the pedals, we made it! Which is a good thing as it was a great place. Pretty much every site has the most amazing view over the coast.
The facilities were great, with clean toilets and showers. They also have a small cafe on site serving snacks, ice cream and most importantly draught beer! Which is always a welcome sight after a few days of drinking cans! We liked it so much we spent 2 nights here. The second day giving us time to catch up on washing and giving us some time to just relax and chill out.
Day 13 | Dogashima, Futo Coast & Gold Museum
We started the day by heading to Monkey Bay, a beach inhabited by monkeys. Or should I say usually inhabited by monkeys. When we arrived at the ticket counter we were told that today there were no monkeys so we couldn’t enter. However, it’s probably for the best as I usually go crazy when I smell a monkey. I can even smell them from inside the car. So maybe we were let off lightly.
Instead we headed to Maksuzaki town where we took a walk around and had some delicious lunch. I say we but I mean the humans. I wasn’t allowed in so stayed in the van. Mammy said it was one of the nicest fishes she had ever eaten!
After lunch we headed to Dogashima Park. We took a walk around a cave and took a look at the lovely views over the coast. After this we continued further up to the Futo Coast. If you get a chance to come here it’s a must. Some of the scenery wouldn’t be out of place in Krabi, Thailand. It was really stunning. It was also deserted. So amazing to have this beautiful place almost all to ourselves.
We had one last place on our itinerary which was the Gold Museum. This museum houses the worlds largest gold bar at 250kg! It is worth a whopping £13,200,000. And being Japan, there was only 1 security guard watching over it. Although I think it would be some feat trying to take that. The smaller 12kg gold bar was hard enough to pick up! I was allowed into the museum although had to be in a stroller, which we rented for ¥500 at the ticket office.
After such a long funfilled day we ended up at the Kurura heda michi no eki for the night. We were lucky as they had an onsen here. So the humans got to relax and have a much needed shower! It was only ¥500 each too so super cheap.
Day 14 | Namesawa Gorge, Kawazu Seven Falls
Today was a lazy day for myself. But that didn’t mean the humans had to rest. In fact today they were super active. Our first stop of the day together was the Darumayama kogen resthouse. From here we had some great views of Fuji. We were grateful to see Fuji so many times on this trip.
Next we headed to Namesawa gorge. We had already driven past this on another day and usually we don’t like to backtrack but we wanted to go here and we didn’t have enough time due to the delayed start from the rainy morning. So off we headed. It was a nice peaceful gentle walk. I didn’t get to go as there were bear warnings so we wanted to play it safe. We winded through the forest along the river listening to the nature. Our end goal for the walk was to get to the Taro Cedar tree which was worth the walk. A huge cedar tree in the middle of the forest, over 450 years old at a height of 53m tall.
After the humans returned to me we carried on our journey via the Namadaru spiral loop bridge, a crazy looped road, and onto the Kawazu Seven Falls. Here, the humans had some fresh wasabi soba noodles and then took a walk up to the seven waterfalls. Unfortunately, I couldn’t go again as it was quite a steep hike and the humans wanted to see all 7 falls. They were also super happy as at the end they found a mixed sex onsen right under the falls called Amasugi Onsen. It was close to closing time so they only got 45 minutes to enjoy it but it was so cool right under the waterfall and enjoying it together. Unfortunately they missed out the cave onsen as they didn’t realise it was there until they were on the way out by which point it was too late 🙁
Another michi no eki for the night at Hana no Sanseien which was the most basic one we’d stayed at. We ended up with dinner from 7-11!
Day 15 | Mt Omuro & Jogasaki Coast
Today was a very exciting day. I got to experience my first chair lift! We went to Mt Omuro and took it all the way to the top. Mt Omuro is a 580m high extinct volcano with a crater at the top you can walk around. At the top if you are lucky you get to see views of Fuji. Again, we were lucky and had great views of it.
We then headed along the Jogasaki coast where we took a walk across the suspension bridge and along the coast through the woods. The sea was pretty rough but it made it look super nice with the waves crashing off the rocks. We stopped for lunch at Bora Naya which was so nice. They are pet friendly and were stoked to find out they had a whole separate entrance and section for people with doggos. We were even more lucky that we got it all to ourselves. A lovely traditional tatami style restaurant specialising in locally caught seafood. It was really delicious.
Humans decided they wanted to do more shopping so they headed back to Gotemba Outlet malls. This time I stayed in the van so that they could go inside all the shops they wanted. After they had emptied their wallet we headed to our penultimate michi no eki, Yamakita to spend the night.
Day 16 | Luggage Drop Off
As we neared the end of the trip we decided to play it safer on our last day. We drove back to Tokyo and dropped off our luggage at our apartment. This meant we could drop off the van back at Kamakura and not be laden with luggage especially after all the humans shopping. So we took a leisurely drive through the streets of Central Tokyo in a campervan. Quite the experience!
The closest michi no eki was Tachikawa where we spent the night. I can’t say that it was a peaceful night’s sleep as this particular michi no eki is very popular with boy racers and bikers. Turning up throughout the night revving their engines it wasn’t very relaxing. However, they did have a great Italian restaurant that was open until 10pm and served wine. So humans were happy with this as most restaurants in the michi no eki’s close before we even arrive for the night.
Day 17 | Bye Bye Campervan
Due to the lack of sleep we set off early back to Kamakura. We dropped off the campervan and got the train back to Tokyo. As we didn’t have any luggage we were able to have some nice food and drinks on the walk back home. A lovely end to a great roadtrip.
Conclusion
We had a fantastic time on this roadtrip. I got to see so much of the Fuji Five Lakes & Izu Peninsular on this Japan roadtrip. Look how many places I managed to visit!
Check out the highlights of this 2 week trip;
You can also check out my Hokkaido Japan roadtrip in a Zil 520 campervan here. Let me know in the comments where you want me to visit next 🙂
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