Mount Fuji towering over Lake Kawaguchi (Kawaguchiko), framed by red maple leaves and blue sky... This is the photo I hoped to capture during this 2-day koyo trip to Fujigoko (Fuji Five Lakes).

While the autumn colors in the area were at their best and should remain so for at least another week, the overcast sky did not allow me to take the desired photo. But at least, Mount Fuji was fully visible on the first day of my visit (November 11).

Because the cloud cover was thicker on the western side of the mountain than on the eastern side, I headed east to Yamanakako (Lake Yamanaka), where I enjoyed colorful maple trees along the lakeshore in combination with Mount Fuji.

On the second day (November 12), the weather further worsened. Mount Fuji did not show itself even once, while I explored the area around Kawaguchiko (Lake Kawaguchi) and Saiko (Lake Sai).

I visited some of the area's countless museums. Among them, the Itchiku Kubota Art Museum was the highlight not only because of the artist's fabulous kimono, but also the beautiful autumn colors in the museum garden.

Another pleasant stop along the route was Iyashi no Sato, an open air museum with many craft shops at the western end of Saiko.

After a late and hearty hoto lunch, the region's most famous dish, I left Fujigoko, envying those who are able to visit the region during the coming days, for which the weather forecast is considerably better.