I Looked Into Shoji Lake Hotel

In my imaginary travel series, I've been gradually looking into lodges and campsites that seem easy to reach without a car, focusing on places where I could relax in a 'hocance' (hotel-as-vacance) kind of way.

This time, I looked into Shoji Lake Hotel, located on the shore of Lake Shoji within the Fuji Five Lakes area. I came across information suggesting it's a place that puts a lot of effort into ecotourism, and that's what got even an indoor type like me interested.

The Short Version

It looks like every room offers views of both Lake Shoji and Mt. Fuji, and the hotel also seems to offer plenty of activities like stargazing and trekking.
The Rakuten Mobile signal conditions came back with an AA rating in actual measurements, so it seems like connectivity should be nothing to worry about either.

I've summarized the details below.

What Kind of Place Is Shoji Lake Hotel?

Apparently, Shoji Lake Hotel is a ryokan located on the shore of Lake Shoji in Fujikawaguchiko, Yamanashi Prefecture. It reopened after renovation in September 2022, and I found information saying the front desk, outdoor bath, sauna, and dining area have all been renovated, so it seems like guests can enjoy a relatively fresh atmosphere.

As for access, if you're driving, the route described was heading west from Kawaguchiko IC along National Route 139, then turning off toward the lakeside from the entrance to Lake Shoji. Since I'm a 'paper driver' who doesn't actually drive, I can't quite picture driving there myself, but apparently you can get off at the 'Shoji Lake Hotel-mae' stop on the Fujikyu Bus, so I was glad to see that getting there by bus seems possible too.

As for room rates, the official website didn't list specific prices, and it seems you need to check through the booking system instead. Booking itself appears to work by going from the official site's reservation page to an external booking system, and it also seems possible to book by phone. Check-in and check-out times, the number of parking spaces, and similar details couldn't be confirmed on the official site, so those remain unclear.

Komorin

Being able to see Mt. Fuji from every room is a point that really appeals to me as an indoor type—it sounds like I could be satisfied without even leaving the room.

Ecotourism-Friendly Activities and Hot Spring Facilities

One thing that stood out about Shoji Lake Hotel was that it's an ecotourism-friendly lodging, which is somewhat rare in the Fuji Five Lakes area. It seems to offer plans like water activities, stargazing, camping, trekking, and cycling, giving the impression of a place where you can experience nature unique to the lakeside.

The hot spring and bathing facilities also seem well-equipped, and the official website introduced the following details.

Outdoor bath: Apparently designed to offer views of Mt. Fuji through all four seasons, with a sauna and a cold plunge pot bath attached as well.
Sauna: Apparently a high-temperature type that supports sauna steam sessions (loyly).
Large communal bath: Apparently uses spring water from Mt. Fuji, with a calcium-sodium sulfate hot spring quality said to be effective for neuralgia, muscle pain, bruising, and the like.
In-house facilities: It also seems to have a coffee house, a lounge, a multipurpose room, a banquet hall, and a meeting room, and I also came across information stating there are 21 rooms in total (though I couldn't confirm this particular detail on the official site itself).

I also found information stating that guests of a small campground attached to the hotel, called Shoji Lakeside Camp, can use the hotel's outdoor bath and sauna. This seems like a good combination for anyone who wants to enjoy both camping and a hot spring.

Rakuten Mobile Signal Conditions

When I checked the location of this facility (the Shoji area of Fujikawaguchiko, Yamanashi Prefecture) using Rakuten Mobile's official "My Area Connectivity Simulation" tool, the overall rating came back as "AA."

Since this is a result I confirmed using Rakuten Mobile's official tool, it left me with the impression that the signal situation should be pretty usable too. Lakeside accommodations can sometimes make you worry about signal strength, but at least as far as I could check this time, it looked good.

Komorin

Getting an AA rating for a lakeside hotel is a quietly nice point. It feels like I could enjoy watching videos or making calls during my stay without worrying too much.

See Rakuten Mobile Details

Wrapping Up

To sum it up again, Shoji Lake Hotel left me with the impression of being an ecotourism-oriented lodging where every room offers views of both Lake Shoji and Mt. Fuji, and where activities like stargazing and trekking are also plentiful.

The hot spring and sauna facilities also seem well set up, and since campground guests can use the bath too, it feels like a place that would be easy to use whether you're the camping type or the lodging type. Being accessible by bus is also a welcome point for someone like me who doesn't actually drive.

The Rakuten Mobile signal conditions came back with an AA rating, so this was a place where it was easy to get a sense of connectivity ahead of time too. If you're concerned about it, it might be reassuring to check in advance using Rakuten Mobile's official "My Area Connectivity Simulation" tool.

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