Kawaguchiko (Mt Fuji) & Sagamiko Illumination
Breakfast at Shohokaku Shogetsu was served in the dining room which affords a wonderful view of Mt Fuji in clear weather. Unfortunately Mt Fuji was still hidden behind clouds the next morning. Breakfast was Japanese buffet with decent variety.
Mt Fuji behind the clouds – view from dining room of Shohukaku Shogetsu
After breakfast, we checked-out of the ryokan and took the Omni bus to its last stop 22 and walked to the Maple Tunnel. It was a fairly long walk, about 15-20 mins, but the resultant view which welcomed us was worth it. 
Maple Tunnel, Kawaguchiko
Maple Tunnel, Kawaguchiko
We doubled back to the bus stop to take the bus back to our ryokan. After a walk by the lake, we picked up our bags from the ryokan and took the bus back to the train station. From the train station we walked about 15 mins to Sanrokuen where we had made reservations for lunch. 
Morning view outside our ryokan, Kawaguchiko
Sanrokuen is a restaurant where you cook your own food over an irori, a sunken hearth used traditionally for heating and cooking. We chose this restaurant as it looked interesting and there didn’t seem to be many other good restaurants in Kawaguchiko based on reviews on TA. Sanrokuen was basically a BBQ restaurant. They had several sets to choose from. Sets with beef are generally more expensive. The food were all skewered and you cooked it over the irori. Great to have this meal during winter as you sit around an open fire. It was generally a fun experience but taste of food was just average. Come here for the experience but don’t expect great food. One plus was that there was an English menu and the staff understand English so no communication issue. If you want to eat here, do make reservations so that you don’t have to wait. 
Lunch @ Sanrokuen, Kawaguchiko
After lunch we went back to the train station. We had plans to go to Sagamiko for the winter illumination. Our train ticket entitled us to ride the regular train or even the Fujisan Express. But we took the Fuji Tozan Densha, Fujikyu Railway’s sightseeing train which required us to top up a fee of JPY200 per pax for this train.
The Fuji Tozan Densha is a special train with the counters, seats, and the interior made mostly of wood. Along the way the train made 2 photostops. No seat reservations so we could sit on any seat we liked. There were 2 cabins and each had a different deco. One of them even had a toddler playpen! Definitely a more enjoyable ride compared to the usual train ride. It is worth the JPY200 more per person if you have the time.
Fuji Tozan Densha, Fujikyu Railway’s sightseeing train
At Otsuki station, our ticket could have entitled us to the Limited Express Trains back to Shinjuku. However we wanted to go to Sagamiko to see the winter illumination. So we took the local train. At Sagamiko station, we were a little too early so we went to a cafe next to the station for a coffee break.
We took a bus from outside the train station to Sagamiko Resort Pleasure Forest which is actually a small theme park with amusement park rides. During the winter season, it is lit up with millions of lights. 2015/2016 is the 7th year in a row that the illumination is taking place. It also claims to be using the largest number of lights in the entire Kanto region (over five million LED lamps). The park is open from 5-9.30pm in the evenings during winter illumination which is happeing from 1 Nov till first week of April. We got there just before 5pm. After we got our tickets, it was just as the park opened. It was only 5pm, but sun had set and the sky was dark already.
Sagamiko Illumillion, Sagamiko Resort Pleasure Forest
Tunnel of Lights, Sagamiko Illumillion
The whole place featured a wide range of colours, accompanying music, and light constructions that take advantage of the fountains and lush greenery of the park. This winter’s theme is ‘Great Britain’, so there was an illuminated replica of Buckingham Palace, the London bus etc. We did not take any amusement park rides which included Ferris wheel and train ride etc. There is extra cost if you want to take the rides. The rides are more for kids, I feel. 
Sagamiko Illumillion 2016 – Great Britain Theme
We spent about 1.5 hours at Sagamiko Resort Pleasure Forest before we took the bus back to the train station to catch our train back to Shinjuku. They allowed us to continue the usage of our train pass and we did not have to pay for the train ride back to Tokyo.
Upon arrival in Shinjuku, we grabbed bentos, drinks and snacks from the station for our dinner. Then we took a 5mins walk to our hotel, Sunroute Plaza Shinjuku.
I must say that I was disappointed with this hotel. I picked this hotel as I wanted to check out Shinjuku and this hotel seems convenient. It had a nice lobby but rooms are basic. Similar to the room quality of Toyoko Inn, however, it is double the price of Toyoko Inn hotels, probably because of the location. The room seems clean but our bathroom had a foul smell, vaguely like a public toilet. This is the first time I encountered such foul smelling hotel toilet in the many hotels I have stayed in Japan. I am not even comparing it to luxury hotels that I have stayed in Tokyo. I just cannot stand the foul smell toilet. The only saving grace for me for this hotel is its location. It is close to Shinjuku station and lots of shopping and eating places. Unlikely for me to stay here again. It would have been a decent stay if not for the toilet smell.
Next up: Shopping in Tokyo & our Flight home!