Shoji Lake Hotel

This is a simple yet comfortable hotel. The hotel has a great location; on a clear day, you can see Mount Fuji from the window. It's about a 5-minute walk to the Shojiko stone monument, a great spot to watch the sunrise over Mount Fuji, and in winter and spring, you can even photograph the Milky Way. The hotel offers both Japanese and Western-style rooms. I stayed in a Japanese-style room the first night and a Western-style room the second. This was my first time staying in a hotel with tatami mats on the floor, and the experience was fantastic—the space was enormous. The facilities are a bit old; you can even see a rotary dial telephone from the last century. Note that there are no washing machines or dryers in the hotel. If you're staying longer than one night, remember to bring your own laundry or hand-wash your clothes. Are there any paid laundromats nearby? I didn't inquire at the time. Also, the hotel doesn't have an elevator, but the staff will help with luggage; however, men can easily carry their own. In addition, there are open-air hot springs and indoor baths. Oh, and you can rent water sports equipment, but unfortunately, I had other plans during the day. Next time, I'll try canoeing or other water sports. Breakfast was complimentary bread and toast, and I received a warm welcome and introduction from the owner, Mr. Kobayashi. Dinner can be had at the hotel restaurant, but be aware of its opening hours; the food was delicious. The hotel service was excellent; the staff were all very friendly and welcoming. I came specifically to photograph the Milky Way over Mount Fuji. I had only booked one night, but there were too many high clouds that day to photograph the Milky Way, so I told the receptionist that I wanted to book another night. The next morning, while having breakfast at the restaurant, Mr. Kobayashi arranged another room for me, and I was able to successfully complete my photography goals the second night. Thank you very much. On my next trip, I will use the hotel as a base to visit the nearby Five Lakes to view Mount Fuji again.

Two students stayed here for three days as part of their graduation trip. We were very impressed with the service and hospitality shown to us by the owners and everyone involved in running the hotel. The view from our room was fantastic, and thanks to the good weather we could see Mount Fuji clearly. This is a wonderful hotel that we would truly like to stay at again. Thank you very much.

That's good.