Official

Chuo-ku and Fujikawaguchiko-cho started exchanges with the construction of the inhabitant's health village "Villa Motosu" in 1990.
On November 4, 2014, we concluded a mutual aid agreement in the event of a disaster, and are currently working to interact through opening stores at the Oedo Festival Bon Odori Tournament.

When I hear Fujikawaguchiko town, I literally associate "Mount Fuji" and "Lake Kawaguchi", but when I look at the Chuo-ku website (1, 2, 3), the following charms are introduced. Has been done.
・Located on the north side of Mount Fuji and in the southern part of Yamanashi Prefecture, Japan's leading scenic spot with four lakes and a sea of trees.
・It is only 90 minutes from central Tokyo
・There is Villa Motosu (a recreation facility owned by Chuo-ku).
・Traditional craft "Oishi Tsumugi"
・Lake Shoji-ko Footpath
・Summer festival held near the lake

And, as you can see at a glance the signs at the border of the town, you can enjoy upside down Fuji on the lake of this town.♪
I often see signs with municipal emblems, but I think that signs that picture the characteristics of such a town are rare, and when I checked the sign of the next Fujiyoshida city, a person climbing the mountain was drawn Was
Does it represent the Yoshidaguchi mountain trail used for climbing Mt. Fuji?
Expanding your imagination from these casual things is one of the pleasures of traveling ^^

If you say this is a spot that you can't miss in this town, Lake Kawaguchi!
As it is one of Japan's leading scenic spot, including Mount Fuji, there were many tourists from overseas.♪

Unfortunately, we couldn't worship the upside down Fuji at the time of our visit, but instead we could see a nice sunset.
No matter what time you go, it seems that you can enjoy the scenery that is surrounded by nature and somewhere refreshing.

Among them, I suddenly noticed this bronze statue-Lake Kawaguchi "Goddess on Lake".
This work, which adds a vibrant "movement" to the mountains in the background, is by the love apprentice Katsumichi Hashimoto (No. Ryo Nawashi) of Seibo Kitamura, a master of the Japanese sculpture world.

His work is known for the statue of Michio Ota in front of Nippori Station, but his work "Tondai" by master Seibo Kitamura can be seen at Sukiyabashi Park.

Seibo Kitamura is supervised by this "goddess on the lake", and Asama Myojin Kihana Kaiya Hime and Iwanaga Hime dance along the lake. Expressing the appearance.
These two sisters, after many hardships, transcend the wealth and beauty ugliness, help the birth of all things with a sublime heart, and bring eternal love, peace and prosperity. It seems to be revered.
It was a work that reminds me of what is important as a human being for me living and working in today's Tokyo.

Next, I visited Lake Shoji-ko, which was also introduced on the website of Chuo-ku.
I visited in the evening, so I gave up walking on the footpath, but there was an unexpected event here.
It's an encounter with Harry Stewart Whitworth, Yoshiharu Hoshino, a native British naturalized in Japan.
When he came to Japan in 1895, he is said to have reached this lake as a result of continuing to look for places where Mount Fuji looks most beautiful.

On the northern shore of the lake, there are the old Nakamichi departure and settlements.
According to Kai no Kuni Shi, the old Nakamichi departure came to be called "Nakamichi" because it was a highway passing through the middle of the three highways connecting Kai and Suruga.
It is surprising that this highway, which has been open since ancient times, was used as a military road where Takeda Shingen, Nobunaga Oda, Ieyasu Tokugawa and others came and went during the Warring States period!
It is said that since the settlement was formed in the Edo period, he lived with crafts (clogs, balance rods, hoe handles, square chopsticks, etc.).

If you go a little further along such historically interesting streets, you will see the shrines and temples lined up next to each other, unusually.
The main hall of Suwa-jinja Shrine in Designated Cultural Property, Fujikawaguchiko town, was rebuilt in 1843 with Ikama-sha style roof.
It is characterized by overdecorative decoration in temples and shrines at the end of the Edo period, and here you can see a wide variety of designs from flora and fauna to Chinese events.
In addition, there is a large cedar that is dedicated to a nationally designated natural monument, and the male figure, which is said to be about 1200 years old, has a presence even from afar!

At the adjacent Ryusenji Temple, there is a sleeping tomb of Whitwars mentioned above, and on the tombstone, you can see his Japanese name, Yoshiharu Hoshino.

Whitwars, who decided to live permanently in this area, built the Lake Shoji-ko Hotel, which has become recognized as a classic hotel for wealthy and foreigners in Japan.
Also, as a result of his dissemination of information overseas, Lake Shoji seems to have been visited by many foreign tourists as one of Japan's leading summer resorts!
Interestingly, there is an episode that Emperor Showa, who visited U.K. during the Crown Prince's era, was asked by a British about Lake Shoji-ko, and the superb view of Mount Fuji from this area, which was called "Switzerland of the East," still entertains visitors even today.

When I visited Fujikawaguchiko Town this time, I could actually see the scenery of the image I had before the visit, the fact that there were historically important highways, and that there were British people who were fascinated by this area I was able to know.
The common point that there were hotels that were often used by foreigners on the shores of Lake Shoji-ko, such as the Tsukiji Hotel Building, which used to be located in the Tsukiji Reservoir, was particularly impressive.♪
And since historical sites with interesting history are scattered, I would like to walk through the footpath "D Aokigahara jukai forest & Stoneworks Course -walk through Takeda Sengoku Historic Sites remaining in the Jukai to Lake Motosuko-" and enjoy visible things (nature) and invisible things (a history that does not remain physically).
It is also famous as a summer resort, so it is perfect for visiting the coming season ^^

On April 9, Finance Minister Taro Aso announced that it would revamp the design of banknotes in 2024.
It is still a new portrait that attracts everyone's attention with counterfeiting measures, materials, and manufacturing methods!
The 10,000 yen note depicts Eiichi Shibusawa, who has a connection to Chuo-ku and laid the foundation of Japanese capitalism.
As interest in new banknotes increases in this way, why don't you look at the current banknotes again?

What I would like to see in particular this time is the back of the 1,000 yen bill.
Here you can see upside down Fuji, which can be said to be one of Japan's leading landscapes, but in fact, this was taken by photographer Koyo Okada from Lake Motosuko in Fujikawaguchiko town!
Click here for more information. It is also depicted on the old 5,000 yen bill. )

My hobby is collecting commemorative coins, so I have visited places drawn on overseas coins and banknotes and traveled to take pictures at the same angle, and the upside down Fuji from Lake Motosuko introduced this time also wants to go to shoot before the new banknotes appear.♥
It's a bit maniac suggestion, but when you visit Fujikawaguchiko town, you may be able to enjoy the scenery from the same position as the upside down Fuji of the current banknote.
In the future, it may be a good memory that can be remembered, such as "I went to the place where the upside down Fuji, which was in the banknote at that time, was shot before it became a new banknote." ^^

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