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FUJI-YOSHIDA , some 100km west of Tokyo, lies so close to Mount Fuji that when the dormant volcano eventually blows her top the residents will be toast. For the time being, however, this small, prosperous town acts as an efficient transport hub for the area, as well as the traditional departure point for journeys up the volcano, with frequent buses leaving for Fuji-san's fifth station from outside the train station. The volcano aside, the town's main attraction is its Shinto shrine. To reach it, head southwest from the station uphill along the main street, Honcho-dori, which will take you past several ornate pilgrims' inns ( oshi-no-ie ). These old lodging houses, where pilgrims used to stay before climbing Mount Fuji, are set back from the road, their entrances marked by narrow stone pillars. Some of the inns still operate as minshuku today . Where the road hits a junction, turn left and in a couple of hundred metres you'll see a giant torii and a broad gravel pathway lined with stone lanterns leading to Fuji Sengen-jinja , a large, colourful shrine set in a small forest. Sengen shrines, dedicated to the worship of volcanoes, encircle Fuji, but this is the most important because it dates from 788. The main shrine ( honden ) has been designated an important cultural asset because of its age (it was built in 1615) and beauty. Look around the back for the jolly, brightly painted wooden carvings of the deities Ebisu the fisherman and Daikoku, the god of wealth, good humour and happiness, who appears content to let a rat nibble at the bales of rice he squats upon. These fun-loving gods would certainly approve of Fujikyu Highland (Mon-Fri 9am-5pm, Sat 9am-7pm, Sun & holidays 9am-6pm; closed third Tues of month, except Aug, when the park is open daily 8am-9pm; Y1000 entry only, Y4300 one-day pass), an appealingly ramshackle amusement park, one train stop west of Fuji-Yoshida, and featuring the terrifying rollercoaster Fujiyama. It's a popular place, so avoid coming on weekends or holidays unless you enjoy standing in long queues. At first glance, there doesn't seem to be a whole lot to recommend the shabby lakeside resort of KAWAGUCHI-KO , a couple of kilometres west of Fuji-Yoshida. With its dolphin-shaped cruise boats and crass souvenir shops, this is the tourist hub of the area and is often choked with traffic during the holiday season. However, the fabulous view of Mount Fuji and lake Kawaguchi-ko from the top of Tenjo-zan make a trip here worth the effort. You can either take a three-minute cable-car ride up to the lookout (daily 9am-5.20pm; Y700 return), or get some exercise by hiking up, which takes around 45 minutes. Kawaguchi-ko's other highlight is the Gaudi-esque Kubota Itchiku Art Museum (April-Nov daily 9.30am-5.30pm; Jan & Feb daily except Tues 10am-5pm; March & Dec daily 10am-5pm; Y1300), on the northern shore of the lake. This small museum, approached through a striking Indian gateway, houses the work of Kubota Itchiku, who has refined the traditional tsujigahana textile-patterning technique and applied it to kimono. Inside the pyramid-shaped building are pieces from the artist's Symphony of Light series, a continuous mountain landscape through the seasons, formed when the kimono are placed side by side. The museum, some 4km west of the town, can be reached by bus from both Fuji-Yoshida and Kawaguchi-ko. Of the other four lakes, the smallest, Shoji-ko , 2km west of Kawaguchi-ko, shaped like a horseshoe, is by far the prettiest. The largest lake, Yamanaka , south of Fuji-Yoshida, is just as developed as Kawaguchi-ko and has fewer attractions, while Motosu-ko and Sai-ko are marginally less touristy, but not worth the trouble of visiting.
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