Three days by car, out of Kofu

Licence, insurance and mountain driving are in the guide

A travel day that still ends well. You reach Yamanashi City by early afternoon, and the rest of the day is fruit, a hilltop park and an open-air bath over the Kofu basin.

1. 08:30–10:14Fixed timeTrain

   Shinjuku to Kofu on the Kaiji 7

   About 1 hour 44 minutes. ¥4,000 one way (¥2,420 fare + ¥1,580 express). Every seat is reserved, so book before the day. Times follow the September 2026 timetable; check the official timetable for your own travel date.

2. 10:30–11:00Target

   Collect the car at Kofu Station south exit

   Paperwork, walk-around inspection and loading. Both major branches are one to two minutes from the south exit. Bring the originals of your licence document and passport; copies and phone photos are not accepted.

3. 11:00–11:30EstimateDrive

   Drive to Machi-no-Eki Yamanashi

   About 14 km on Route 140. Straightforward driving to warm up on.

   Map

4. 11:30–12:20StaySpot

   Orchard Cafe

   A seasonal fruit parfait at the roadside station — peach, grape or strawberry depending on the month. Closed on Wednesdays.

5. 12:20–12:30EstimateDrive

   Drive up to Fuefukigawa Fruit Park

   About 4.5 km along the Fruit Line. The gradient starts here.

   Map

6. 12:30–13:25StaySpot

   Fuefukigawa Fruit Park

   The hillside park from the group camping episode. Free parking, and the basin opens up behind you as you walk.

7. 13:25–13:30EstimateDrive

   Continue to Hottarakashi Onsen

   About 1.5 km, a short but steep climb on a narrow road. Watch for oncoming cars.

   Map

8. 13:30–14:30Stay

   Lunch at the onsen

   The food stands do udon, ramen and the deep-fried soft-boiled egg the series is known for. The official site states that payment on site is cash only.

9. 14:30–16:10StaySpot

   Hottarakashi Onsen

   Two separate baths look out over the whole Kofu basin. Adults ¥900. Towels are sold on site.

10. 16:10–16:50EstimateDrive

    Back down to Kofu

    About 15 km. Allow for late-afternoon traffic near the station.

11. 17:00TargetLodging

    Check in near Kofu Station

    A station hotel keeps dinner and tomorrow’s departure simple. Several have hot spring baths of their own.

12. 18:00–19:30Stay

    Dinner in front of the station

    Hoto and Kofu tori-motsu-ni are both within a few minutes on foot. Go early at weekends.

South into the Kyonan valley: a quiet lake in the morning, the Minobu station front at lunchtime, the school site in the afternoon, and a hot spring town by mid-afternoon.

1. 07:30–08:30Stay

   Breakfast, then check out

   Eat at the hotel and get on the road before the day warms up.

2. 08:45–09:40EstimateDrive

   Drive to Lake Shibire (Suimeiso)

   About 28 km on Route 52 and the prefectural road, which turns into sustained mountain curves.

   Map

3. 09:40–11:00StaySpot

   Lake Shibire

   A circuit of the shore is about 1.2 km and takes around 25 minutes. The terrace at Suimeiso serves the chai the prefecture’s own tourism site connects to episode 6. Car parking ¥500. The whole lake is private land: the last 600 m from the second car park is too narrow for two cars to pass, so stop there and phone Suimeiso on 055-272-1030 to check for oncoming traffic before driving in.

4. 11:00–11:45EstimateDrive

   Drive to Minobu Station

   About 28 km: back down the prefectural road and south along the Fuji River on Route 52.

   Map

5. 11:45–12:20StaySpot

   Eishodo and Shonin-dori

   Minobu manju, then eat them on a bench by the Fuji River — the same order as in the series. Closed on Wednesdays and sells out; ¥80 each as of the December 2025 price revision.

6. 12:20–13:20Stay

   Lunch in front of Minobu Station

   The station-front places do shiitake rice sets and yuba soba. Parking is around the station forecourt.

7. 13:20–13:50StayWalk

   Walk the shopping street

   Local displays, souvenirs and the visitor notebooks that shops keep for people making the same trip.

8. 13:50–14:15EstimateDrive

   Drive to the former school site

   About 12 km north on Route 52 and Route 300 towards Kai-Tokiwa.

   Map

9. 14:15–15:15StaySpot

   The school site and Tokiwa village

   The gate, the slope the characters walk up, and the village around it. The grounds are closed to visitors: look from outside and use the marked visitor parking.

10. 15:15–15:30EstimateDrive

    Down to Shimobe-Onsen

    About 3.5 km on the prefectural road. Your bags are in the car, so nothing here is difficult.

    Map

11. 15:30TargetLodging

    Check in at Shimobe-Onsen

    Time for the baths, the foot bath and a walk through the old spa town before dinner.

12. 18:30–20:30Stay

    Dinner at the ryokan

    Most rooms here come with a kaiseki dinner; the dishes vary by season and room rate. Shimobe-Onsen has no convenience store and its restaurants shut early, so book a rate with dinner or check opening hours in advance.

Over the pass to Lake Motosu, then a long unhurried morning on the shore before driving back to Kofu and the train home.

1. 07:30–08:30Stay

   Breakfast, then check out

   Settle up and load the car. The pass takes longer than the distance suggests.

2. 08:45–09:20EstimateDrive

   Route 300 to Lake Motosu

   About 18 km — the climb Nadeshiko rides in episode 1, with blind hairpins in both directions. Stay off the centre line, use engine braking on the descent, and expect ice from December to March.

   Map

3. 09:20–11:30StaySpot

   Koan and the lakeshore

   The episode 1 location and the Mount Fuji view from the old ¥1,000 note. The shop opens at 08:00.

4. 11:30–12:30Stay

   Curry noodles at Koan

   The dish Nadeshiko eats when the two of them first meet, on the terrace by the water.

5. 12:30–12:35EstimateDrive

   Drive to the Lake Motosu Observation Park

   About 1 km along Route 300 to the higher ground.

6. 12:35–13:05StaySpot

   Lake Motosu Observation Park

   Parking and toilets, and a few steps up to the lake and Mount Fuji together. This is the part public transport cannot reach.

7. 13:05–14:05EstimateDrive

   Drive back to Kofu

   About 36 km on Route 139 then Route 358, through the mountains and down into the basin.

8. 14:05–14:35Target

   Refuel and return the car

   Fill the tank at a station near Kofu, keep the receipt and hand it in with the keys. Check the cabin for belongings before you sign off; allow the full half hour.

9. 14:40–16:00Buffer

   Kofu Station building

   Shingen mochi, Koshu wine and a coffee, all inside the station.

10. 16:11–17:58Fixed timeTrain

    Kofu to Shinjuku on the Kaiji 40

    Every seat is reserved. Arrives 17:54 on Saturdays and holidays. Confirm your own date before booking.

Optional: the climb to Nakanokura Pass

The view on the back of the old ¥1,000 note was taken from higher up than the shore. The Ministry of the Environment describes the walk from the lakeside car park to the Nakanokura Pass viewpoint as about 30 minutes each way; with time at the top, allow 80 to 90 minutes.