I want you to see the thumbnail. I woke at 7 a.m. and, full of expectation, opened the curtains only to be met with a hopeless sight. Not only Mount Fuji but even Lake Yamanaka was invisible. Beyond the window was a world of pure white. I had prayed so hard before falling asleep last night. In my dream, Mount Fuji stood beyond the window bathed in the morning sun. When I woke I believed the continuation of that dream would unfold in reality. This was the morning I had wished for. I would open the curtains, and the magnificent view of Lake Yamanaka and Mount Fuji would spread before me. I would be overwhelmed with emotion in the first few seconds after waking, maybe even moved to tears. I would head straight for the outdoor bath, soak in the natural hot spring while watching the morning Mount Fuji, then go into the self-löyly sauna and slowly wake my body while gazing at the mountain. I would plunge into the cold plunge bath filled with Mount Fuji natural water and feel an overwhelming refreshment from the very start of the day. That was the plan. There was nothing to be done. I was powerless. I opened my phone and checked. Apparently morning Mount Fuji is often shrouded in mist and sometimes appears after a few hours. There was hope. But the deadline was 10 a.m. If it didn’t clear by checkout, that would be it. Besides, this wasn’t just a thin fog; it was a dense mist where you couldn’t see ten meters ahead. Would it dissipate in a few hours? Worrying about it wouldn’t help. I decided to have breakfast first and wait. I had the buffet at the hotel restaurant. Dishes made with ingredients from around Mount Fuji were laid out, and it was a very delicious breakfast. Normally you should be able to enjoy the best morning meal here while looking at Mount Fuji from this restaurant. But outside the window was all white. The food alone was superb while the view was completely dead. It was a strange breakfast filled with both great satisfaction and emptiness. After breakfast I returned to my room and looked out the window. No change. An hour later, still no change. Hoping the mist would thin even a little or that the outline of Mount Fuji might show faintly, I kept pressing my face to the glass. I spent about two hours staring out as if forever, but there was no sign of clearing. The deadline was approaching. Although the view was gone, I decided to enjoy one last superb sauna and cold plunge bath before leaving. I headed to Mantenboshi Bath (Mantenboshi no Yu). I entered the löyly sauna and slowly woke my body. The morning sauna room was quiet. As last night, the iki stove emitted a gentle heat. After being sufficiently steamed, I submerged myself in the cold plunge bath filled with Mount Fuji natural water. An overwhelming sense of refreshment washed over my entire body. I drank natural water straight from the tap. It soothed my parched throat first thing in the morning. One morning sauna set was enough to make me totonou. I hadn’t seen Mount Fuji, but I decided it was OK since I had fully enjoyed such a sauna and cold plunge bath. Feeling completely good, I returned to my room, and outside the window the dense fog remained. It couldn’t be helped. This time there was simply no connection. I know the importance of accepting defeat. Still, it was a big shock not to see even a millimeter of the Lake Yamanaka and Mount Fuji panorama. Neither last night nor this morning did that mountain once reveal itself. I decided to take it as a message from the gods: come again. As long as I continue this journey, there will be another chance. Next time I will check the weather forecast and book only when it’s certain to be clear, and I’ll make the reservation at the last minute. If you plan months ahead, you get beaten by the weather, an enemy beyond your control. I’ll take this as a lesson.

Now, my next destination awaited. I checked out and left the hotel. I was heading toward the Kawaguchiko area, aiming for Fujiyoshida City. There is a famed hot spring called Fujiyama Hot Spring (Fujiyama Onsen). The facility features a large all-wooden public bath modeled on the Important Cultural Property Kusakabe House from Hida Takayama, and it offers a löyly sauna plus a cold plunge bath using Mount Fuji vanadium water. I decided to wash away the frustration of not seeing Mount Fuji at Hotel Mount Fuji with a good sauna, and set off into the mist.