Last Updated: Oct 2, 2024

Savoring Kawaguchiko

A Popular Location in Yamanashi

This story was originally published on donnykimball.com and has been syndicated here on Medium.

“While this article was originally written during the pandemic, all of the locations and information featured are still valid…”

— Donny Kimball

Alright, confession time folks. For a good while now, I have wanted to revisit the lovely area of Kawaguchiko (lit. “Lake Kawaguchi”). While I have traveled to this area of Japan several times, my adventures occurred prior to Japan’s inbound tourism boom. Since that time, the popularity of Kawaguchiko and nearby Mt. Fuji has skyrocketed thereby resulting in a massive influx of overseas travelers. Seeing as I am vehemently committed to featuring Japan’s off the beaten path destinations whenever possible, it simply hasn’t made sense for me to tangle with the throngs of tourists.

Alas, the year is sadly 2020 and we are currently in the midst of the worst pandemic in recent history. With Japan’s borders securely locked shut, it shouldn’t come as a complete surprise that inbound tourism has virtually flatlined. Indeed, this is tragic news for the industry; however, the silver lining reveals mainstream destinations (previously burdened by over tourism) are now surprisingly bearable…