Road Trip On Gakunan-Densha - Part 1

Our next two-day journey of enquiry and discovery takes place on the Gakunan Railway Line. Operated by the Gakunan Electric Train company, it runs through Fuji City in Shizuoka Prefecture. It consists of only 10 stations, covering a total distance of 9.2km. Mount Fuji can be seen from every station along the short railway line. 

We buy all-day passes for 700 yen each and board the train from Yoshiwara Station near Suruga Bay. The train travels on the south side of Mount Fuji and reaches Jatco-mae Station in less than five minutes. We plan to take the 11.25am train later, giving us about 1.5 hours to spend here. A local suggests we visit a store called Wadaya that specialises in karinto. It makes more than 40 varieties of karinto. They include seasonal flavours such as amazake karinto in spring and fresh milk karinto in October. Other unique flavours are black pepper, karaage and curry, and even sweet ones like strawberry. We sample some green onion and miso karinto with mayonnaise and burdock root karinto. 

After this, we catch the train and head to Yoshiwara-honcho Station, which is only 400m away from Jatco-mae Station. A resident recommends we try a local speciality called dipping Napolitan pasta. We drop by the popular Cafe Adonis, where the dish was invented 10 years ago. It is now offered at more than 20 eateries within and outside the city. The dish features noodles dipped in a tomato-based sauce. Sometimes cheese is added to make it even more rich. 

We ask another local about interesting spots and are told about Migawari Jizo statues at the back of the station. It is said that during the Edo era, eye diseases were prevalent in this area. People would pray to the statues and they were cured of their ailment. Next, we take the 1.30pm train to Hon-Yoshiwara Station, which is merely 300m away. We decide to catch the train at 3.05pm later. We walk to Zentokuji Park, the site of an old warlord’s branch castle. The castle was associated with the triple alliance of the Takeda, Hojo and Imagawa clans during the Sengoku era. These clans - which held their meetings at the castle - fought against the Oda, Tokugawa and Uesugi clans during that period. 

We return to the train station and advance one stop to Gakunan-Harada. A local here recommends we check out Taketori Park, the “birthplace” of the Tale of the Bamboo Cutter, which tells the story of Princess Kaguya. The park has several bamboo trees and a stone statue called Taketorizuka - a designated cultural asset of Fuji City. 

Back at the station, we start asking around about hotels. One resident tells us about Taiya Ryokan in Yoshiwara. We call the hotel and it has rooms available but is unable to provide meals. As it has no shuttle buses, we take the last bus from Gakunan-Harada at 5.45pm and go to the Yoshiwara Chuo bus station, which is near the hotel.  

Tips:

1)    Dipping Napolitan pasta is a local speciality of Fuji City
2)    History fans should visit Zentokuji Park, linked to Sengoku-era clans