Sake Sipp'n

The morning buffet was just as impressive as the night before. I found enough items to enjoy and the coffee machine too ☕😛 Our guide walked us a short ways across town to the Shuzenji Temple. It's age and wood construction is beautiful. It is impeccably preserved. We also stopped a short distance away at Hie Shrine. That location is more rustic, and watched over by some very large trees.
https://www.japan.travel/en/spot/1287/
https://en.japantravel.com/shizuoka/shuzen-ji-h…

Before departing the hotel we got a great group photo with the bikes at the entrance way. Our journey today took us through some lovely countryside, some toll roads, including the Izu Skyline Parkway and Hakone Skyline roads. Mount Fuji graced us with a momentary peek from the clouds.

It was a bit of a shorter riding day to the resort town of Fujikawaguchiko on Lake Kawaguchi. We had an afternoon sake tour booked, just a short distance away from our evening's accommodation at the Toyoko Inn Fuji Kawaguchiko Ohashi. We were slightly early for the 3pm checkin at the hotel, and as per the rules, could not get our rooms. The bags were piled in the lobby and we set off for a stroll through town.

The Ide Sake Brewery has been in business for 21 generations and is unique in that it uses spring water from Mount Fuji to produce its sake. The owner lives in his home on site, complete with a beautifully manicured garden. The process, fermentation, aging and extraction with a massive hydraulic press is impressive.
https://travel.gaijinpot.com/ide-sake-brewery/

The hotel rooms were compact and western style beds. We each had our own rooms, so it was a perfect size. It was a tad cozy for the couple's in their room, especially with double the luggage.

No organized dinner this evening, so the three of us we walked to find a small hot pot restaurant. We were lucky to arrive a couple hours before their closing, as they only allowed one more table of three to be seated before they declined more customers. We guessed they had either exhausted their fresh ingredients, or didn't want to have to work late past the 9pm closing time. My brother's Wagu beef hot pot was an experience for him. The process is to dip the hot beef and veggies from the broth into the freshly scrambled raw egg. He seem to enjoy it, but I would have skirted formalities and dumped the egg into the boiling pot 🍳🤪Läs mer