Day 3 of our most unplanned trip yet and we're about to discover there is no point to point public transport from Kyoto to anywhere near Fujisan. After a touchy few minutes balancing the risk of missing the train with the need to get just the perfect donut for the trip, we're aboard. We're heading to Mishima station, but still don't have a plan of what to do once we get there.

A few weeks ago, at Emerson's entrance interview for high school, the VP was telling us all about how easy it is to drive in Japan. The idea stuck in my head at least and so now I'm going to convince the family we should just drive from Mishima to Fujisan. The best Public Transport route we've found so far is another 2 hours on a convoluted set of trains and buses, then a half hour walk at the end. 

We head straight to the Nissan car rental office at Mashima, and discover that antiquated "International Drivers Permit" that I've heard people talk about has a purpose. Here in Japan you need one to hire a car :( If that wasn't deflating enough, 2 more hours of public transport puzzles was a crusher. But no point delaying, we find our way to the bus terminal and start to attempt to decipher the bus system and numbers. Gab spots a tourist office and decides to go see if they can help with the directions.

Boom! Gab sorts us for a point to point bus straight to lake, just a 5 minutes away from our hotel, she has literally saved the day! The next bus is just over an hour away, we find a little shoe box restaurant and settle in for some tempura magic.

We're staying at a mountain spa hotel, with views straight across to the Mountain. The whole place is situated to make the most of their magnificent view. The kids are thoroughly impressed. With futons and a tatami mat area, this is our Ryokan experience, but with central heating and room-service :)

With transport closed for the day we're going to settle in here. We're in the garden for a while before we go to check out the rest of the hotel. We scope the place out and decide it's Onsen time for Max and I.

We get our Yukata on and head down to the spa. This is a famous Onsen with views right across to the mountain. I've read Tattoos are forbidden in these places but when we arrive we almost have the place to ourselves. So with no one to stop us we head in. BLISS! For the next hour or so we're slopping from pool to pool, even outside with the steam wafting off the water, amazing stuff. After the sauna I try to convince Fid to dunk himself in the cold bath but ended up convincing myself - that warm glow afterwards made it worthwhile. After our showers, the massage chairs had us both nearly falling asleep.

Dinner is in the Japanese restaurant. We all went for the Beef you cook at the table yourself on lava rocks from the mountain. It started with a K, not Kobe, but in the same style, marbled beyond anything I'd eaten before - Delicious!

We've been talking about Karaoke for months, we'll still want to do it in Tokyo later, but with two rooms going wanting right here, how could we not? After a bunch of contemporary swill from the ginger and that Mars guy we got onto the real stuff. Boo got on the mike with me playing Flava as we busted out PEs "Bumrush the show" together - wicked! I had a ball, and if they didn't like my singing they at least got to laugh themselves stupid :)