I recently returned from a short solo trip to Japan. I booked this travel because rare availability in first class cabins appeared that allowed me to use stranded airline miles before they expired. I built my trip around the flights available.

I had no idea what I’d do in Japan for five days. It was only after looking at properties available through American Express Fine Hotels & Resorts that I stumbled upon the Fuji Speedway Hotel. The location seemed unique and interesting, so I decided to book a few nights using expiring credits from American Express to reduce the out of pocket cost.

Like all of my trips to Japan, I enjoyed myself quite a bit. Hiking up Mount Fuji was a once-in-a-lifetime experience. The museums I visited were unique and interesting. As usual, the service was impeccable everywhere, and the food was uniformly very good. What more could you ask for from a vacation?

I consider myself quite lucky that I’m able to experience these things in my life, and I strive to never forget that feeling. Every month, I feel like I’m doing something that a younger version of me couldn’t imagine doing. It all feels quite surreal at times.

Bookings

Flights

My flight bookings changed a couple of times between when I first made them and when I traveled. My outbound flight was originally scheduled on Cathay Pacific first class through Hong Kong and my inbound flight was originally scheduled on All Nippon Airways’ older first class product. I swapped the outbound and inbound flights for Japan Airlines first class and All Nippon Airways’ new first class product, respectively.

• Nicholas
  • 110,000 Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan Miles + 18.10USD per person
    • LAS-LAX on AS J
    • LAX-HND on JL F
  • 72,500 Virgin Atlantic Flying Plan Miles + 325.50USD per person
    • NRT-SFO on NH F
  • 229.10USD per person (American Airlines Trip Credit)
    • SFO-LAS on AS J

Hotels

As previously mentioned, I booked the Fuji Speedway Hotel after finding it on American Express’s travel portal. For my two nights in Tokyo, I decided to stay at a property that I hadn’t visited before in a different area than the one we usually stay in.

• One room for three nights at the Fuji Speedway Hotel for 199.42USD per night, inclusive of taxes and credits, through American Express Fine Hotels & Resorts
• One room for two nights at the Hyatt Centric Ginza for 25,000 World of Hyatt points per night

Activities

• One voluntary (but strongly suggested) donation of 1000JPY to the Fujisan Conservation Fund
• One ticket to the Fuji Motorsports Museum for 1300JPY per ticket
• One ticket to the Railway Museum for 1600JPY per ticket

Transport

I took several taxi rides on this trip because it was the only straightforward way to accomplish what I wanted to.

• Taxi from Gotemba Station to Fuji Speedway Hotel for 3760JPY
• Taxi from Fuji Speedway Hotel to Fujinomiya 5th Station for 11700JPY
• Taxi from Fujinomiya 5th Station to Fuji Speedway Hotel for 11540JPY

July 16, 2024

We woke up bright and early and Angela dropped me off at the airport at 0505 for my 0605 flight. Luckily, security lines were minimal and I made it from the curb to the gate in under ten minutes. My flight to LAX on Alaska Airlines was quite pleasant. I’m always surprised by just how much better the Alaska Airlines brewed coffee is compared to their competition.

Once I arrived at LAX, I walked to the Qantas First Class Lounge. I didn’t have my Japan Airlines boarding pass yet (as it couldn’t be issued during online check-in), so I had to show the lounge agent an email with my full itinerary alongside my short-haul boarding pass in order to access the lounge.

For breakfast, I had a flat white, green juice, breakfast salad, and Bircher muesli. Everything was quite tasty.

After breakfast, I relaxed in one of the many lounge chairs and worked for several hours. At 1130, I decided to stop by the dining area again to eat lunch. I ordered house lemonade, rocket salad, salt-and-pepper squid, and a Reuben sandwich. Every dish was delicious, particularly the Reuben, which I absolutely loved.

At this point, I left the lounge to go retrieve my boarding pass from a Japan Airlines gate agent. After procuring it and confirming boarding time, I walked around the terminal for forty-five minutes to burn off some energy. I returned to the gate as boarding began and was the first passenger to enter the first class cabin. The seats were huge, with plenty of storage and a very comfortable cushion.

I chose to indulge in the Japanese menu during the flight. While I’ve gotten out of the habit of taking pictures of food on planes, the meal service was so exquisite that I couldn’t help myself.

The cabin was at half-occupancy. As such, the flight attendants happily made up the seat across each passenger as their private bed to use at their leisure. With such a large seat, I was able to comfortably sleep on my back. Unfortunately, the cabin was quite warm throughout our journey and I found myself struggling to get much rest until things started to cool about four hours before landing.

Before landing in Japan, I ordered a steak sandwich and some tonkotsu ramen, following the dishes with a tasty cappuccino.

July 17

After deplaning, I walked to immigration and customs. They were practically empty and my total wait time was less than five minutes between the two. I stopped at an ATM to withdraw some Japanese yen and recharge my IC card before walking to the Keikyu line platform and starting the long journey to my first hotel.

I took the Keikyu Line to Yokohama Station where I transferred to the Tokkaido Line. I transferred from the Tokkaido Line to the Gotemba Line at Kozu Station and alighted at Gotemba Station. The trains went from absolutely packed to a veritable ghost town over the course of my journey.

Outside the station, I walked to the taxi stand and asked the driver to take me to my hotel. He immediately recognized the location and we were off without delay. The journey between Gotemba Station and the Fuji Speedway Hotel took about twenty minutes. During that time, I was able to see the darkened silhouette of Mount Fuji above the horizon.

Check-in at the hotel was fast and easy. I was invited to sit in the lounge area and given a welcome drink of sweetened matcha tea while an agent explained to me all of the benefits of my stay and the hotel’s amenities. He helped me make reservations for the free shuttle from the hotel to Gotemba Station on the following day and my day of departure. Finally, at 2100, I made it to my room.

The property is well-appointed with an extremely comfortable bed, luxurious bathroom, and modern outlets featuring USB charging ports liberally sprinkled throughout the room. I specifically booked a Circuit View room so that I would be overlooking the track and be able to watch the racing event during my final day.

After a long shower, I was ready for bed and looking forward to the next day.

July 18

I woke up early and went to the gym for a run to wake my legs up. The gym is nicely outfitted with dumbbells up to 30 kilograms, various weight and cardio machines, and a racing simulator. There are also refreshments available, including pouches of Aquarius, which seems to be similar to Gatorade.

I stopped by spa reception after my run to make a reservation for the racing simulator later that day. As a guest, you are entitled to a thirty minute session each day, but reservations are required.

Having worked up an appetite, I enjoyed a high-quality buffet breakfast at the restaurant. While somewhat limited in terms of options, the foods on offer were quite delicious. My avocado toast was tasty and the barista prepared coffee was great. After finishing my meal, a staff member asked if I’d like a coffee to go, which I thought was quite nice. The views from breakfast couldn’t be beat.

After my meal, I spent some time packing my hiking backpack for the following day to make sure I didn’t forget anything. For my hike, I packed multiple 40 ounce bottles of water, several granola bars and protein pastries, a few Aquarius pouches that I took from the gym, a rain jacket, a sweatshirt, a fitted thick Under Armour long sleeve shirt, a winter hat, a buff, and some extra socks. Some of this proved superfluous, but I wanted to be prepared for anything.

Once my pack was settled, I decided to visit the traditional Japanese baths on property. They are gender segregated and you are required to be naked. I enjoyed the dry sauna, cold plunge, and hot tubs (one inside and one outside). In particular, I loved the view of Mount Fuji from the hot tubs. No pictures were allowed for obvious reasons, but the area was very nice.

I worked for a bit in the early afternoon before catching the free shuttle into Gotemba. After a brief glimpse at a map of the city near the train station, I headed for Chichibunomiya Memorial Park, a nicely wooded location that runs adjacent to a small creek. The entrance fee was 300JPY.

After my stroll in the heat, I was feeling quite hungry. I opened Google Maps and saw that there was a restaurant named Ringoya nearby. I walked up the hill and entered the darkened restaurant, wondering if it was open. After a brief moment of puzzlement, I was greeted warmly by an elderly couple, the purveyors of the restaurant, and invited to sit while they turned on the lights and air conditioning.

The chef knew some English and was quite kind. His wife kept me plied with water throughout the meal and helped me with payment at the end of my lunch. I was the only one in the restaurant and it felt like a private dining experience.

I ordered the domestic black beef lunch set and paid a supplement to upgrade from white rice to garlic fried rice. The total meal cost was 7650JPY. I loved my steak, which I ordered rare, and the accompaniments were all quite delicious. My favorite part of the meal might have been when the chef looked at me and said “eating raw steak and fried rice will keep you big like Popeye” and then flexed his biceps at me.

I returned to Gotemba Station and shared the shuttle back to the hotel with a very friendly pair of Australians from Perth. We discussed how great Japan is, at least as foreigners, and briefly touched on US politics. We exchanged contact information once we reached the hotel. I hope to see them again when we return to Perth in the future.

I walked to the lobby to enjoy the Globalist happy hour that is available every day from 1530 to 1730. I ordered an orange cider, which was quite refreshing, and sat enjoying the ambiance of the property. The attention to detail and the commitment to the racing theme is so cool. Even the coasters were unique.

After refreshing myself and resting in my room for a bit, I went to the gym to enjoy the racing simulator. To be quite frank, I was not very good. That being said, it was still quite fun to be jostled around as your virtual car flies around the track.

I was feeling quite drained from my long day and decided to order a Caesar salad from room service because I knew I wouldn’t have a chance to eat an appropriate breakfast the next morning. It was quite delicious and well worth the price.

July 19

I woke up at 0430 and double checked that my bag was packed correctly before getting dressed. For the hike, I decided to wear hiking pants, a light button up shirt, and hiking boots. I saw quite a few people hiking in trail runners and shorts, but I don’t think I would have been comfortable doing so.

Before leaving, I took a few minutes to admire the beautiful colors in the sky from the impending sunrise.

Venturing down to the hotel entrance at 0520, I met the taxi that I had booked ahead of time. We departed at 0525 for the Fujinomiya 5th Station. The drive was pleasant and, because I booked a private taxi, I was able to head straight to the trailhead rather than relying on one of the shuttles from the main roadway.

I arrived around 0625 and checked in with one of the Fuji Navigators to confirm my pre-registration and receive a wristband affirming it. I also stopped to make a donation to the Fujisan Conservation Fund. In return, I received a nice little memento from my time on the mountain.

I chose to hike the Fujinomiya Trail for several reasons. First, I knew it would be much less crowded than the Yoshida Trail (the busiest) with fewer than half the annual hikers. Second, I knew it would be straightforward, logistically, to complete as a single day hike without staying overnight on the mountain. Finally, it seemed challenging in a way that would suit me, with a short, but steep, ascent and descent.

I strongly considered the longer, but more gradual, Gotemba Trail, but I was concerned about the time required to hike it and the logistics of doing it as a single day hike.

While I was looking at the map of the trail, a Fuji Navigator came up to me to chat and offer some advice since it was my first time hiking on Mount Fuji. Basically, she told me to walk at a slow and steady pace, make sure to eat snacks while hiking, and drink a little bit of water at a time on a continuous basis. She also advised me to not get on the wrong trail down after I reached the summit by looking for color coded signs.

The first thing I noticed was that it was much colder than I’d anticipated at the trailhead. I immediately put on my thick Under Armour shirt underneath my hiking shirt and was comfortable throughout the rest of my time on the mountain. After that, I set off on the hike.

To be completely honest, this was the most physically taxing thing I’ve ever done. It was much harder than the Tongariro Alpine Trek that Angela and I enjoyed in New Zealand. I don’t know if my body was tired from the long-distance travel that had concluded 36 hours previously, severely affected by the altitude, or feeling sore from my run the previous day. Whatever it was, the second half of the hike, in particular, was very rough. My hamstrings and quadriceps were so sore after the 8th station that I found myself stopping every 100 meters to summon the willpower to continue.

That being said, I eventually made it to the top. I walked around the summit a little bit, took a picture of the caldera, and sat down to eat a snack. Unfortunately, I was only halfway through my granola bar when I started feeling a little nauseous and realized I should start heading down to avoid altitude sickness.

The ascent, including rest, took three hours and forty-five minutes. The descent lasted two hours and ten minutes. On the way up, I met a pleasant young man from Canada named Lysander who beat me to the summit. We met up again for the descent and chatted for almost the entirety of the downward journey.

During our descent, I saw a guy dressed like a dragonfly and asked if I could take a picture of him. He insisted that I take a picture with him and handed me a net. I loved the interaction and chalk it up to one of life’s funny little moments.

After reaching the trailhead again, I spent a few minutes convincing a taxi driver to bring me back to my hotel. I invited Lysander to join me because he had expressed interest in going to the Fuji Motorsports Museum and I was already heading there anyways. We parted ways after arriving at Fuji Speedway.

I stopped by the front desk and made a reservation for dinner at Robata Oyama, the Japanese restaurant at the Fuji Speedway Hotel. There are only two seatings per night, one at 1730 and one at 2000. Knowing that I wasn’t going to make it to 2000, I requested a reservation for 1730.

After showering and changing, I stopped at happy hour for a drink before heading to dinner. I really enjoyed my meal. I opted for kara-age for my appetizer, Shizuoka tenderloin for my main course, and mango pudding for dessert. Everything was quite delicious, although I preferred, by a slight margin, the steaks I had previously enjoyed in Osaka and Gotemba.

The hotel’s general manager stopped by to chat with me after I’d finished my meal and I told him how much I enjoyed my stay. He seemed pleased to hear it. After our brief conversation, I returned to my room and immediately fell asleep, completely exhausted.

July 20

I woke up quite early and worked for a little bit before heading to the gym at 0500. I lifted weights for about an hour before heading to the onsen. It was a very pleasant way to spend the morning and my muscles needed the relief that the hot tub provided. After showering, I headed to breakfast at 0700 where I enjoyed another high-quality meal.

Back at my room, I packed my luggage and then headed to the Fuji Motorsports Museum at 1000 when it opened. I really enjoyed the collection of vehicles on display and liked the fact that there was an English language audio guide available to provide additional information about each exhibit.

After leaving the museum, I returned to my room to relax on my balcony. There, I watched several laps of the Kyojo Cup as well as several Super Formula qualifying rounds. Having never been to a high-level motorsports event, it was thrilling to hear the roar of the engines and see the skill with which the drivers negotiated each turn.

I checked out at 1500. The 100.00USD credit from reserving the hotel via Fine Hotels & Resorts covered almost all of my dining charges, leaving me a very small balance to pay. I took the free shuttle to Gotemba Station and retraced most of my steps back to Tokyo, taking the Gotemba Line to Kozu Station and transferring to the Tokkaido Line to Shimbashi Station. I walked from Shimbashi Station to the Hyatt Centric Ginza where I’d be staying the next two nights.

Check-in was straightforward and pleasant and my room was quite nice and spacious. The bed was comfortable and the shower was luxurious. I would not recommend the hotel for first-time visitors to Tokyo because of the location (as it is quite touristy), but it worked well for me on this trip.

After allowing my phone to charge for a little bit, I walked a few short blocks to Kurobuta Tonkotsu Ramen Ginza. Luckily, I was able to enter without any wait and enjoy the best ramen I’ve ever had.

I ordered the miso pork ramen with medium-thick noodles and the dish was amazing. The broth was flavorful and rich. The pork char siu was tender and delicious. It was so good that I tried to go back twice more during my time in Tokyo, but the shop was closed both times. I can’t wait to return in the future to try their tsukemen.

Returning to the hotel, I stopped at the bar for a complimentary refreshment provided every night to guests with elite status. I opted for passion fruit soda which turned out to be quite tasty.

July 21

After waking up at 0630, I immediately found myself embroiled in work for a couple of hours. Fortunately, I was able to wrap things up by 0830, at which time I went to breakfast. The buffet had quite a variety of dishes. I particularly enjoyed the salmon poke that was available to layer on top of a bowl of rice. The made-to-order omelets were also quite delicious. The coffee was from a machine, unfortunately, and was only OK.

After breakfast, I headed to the Railway Museum. It was fascinating to trace the history of the railways in Japan from the mid-1800s to the present day. While there wasn’t much English language signage, a free audio guide made the exhibits accessible. I particularly enjoyed the sheer quantity of rolling stock on display.

I returned to the hotel and headed to the gym for a quick workout. The gym at the Hyatt Centric Ginza is decent, with dumbbells up to 22 kilograms and a few cardio and weight machines.

Unfortunately for me, the ramen shop I’d visited on the previous night was closed. I decided to eat at the Sushiro location that Angela and I tried on our visit in June. When I arrived, the waiting area was packed with people and the kiosk indicated a 120-minute wait. Still, I grabbed a ticket and decided to bide my time. My number was called after three minutes and I found myself in the corner of one of the counters. I enjoyed my meal, but the fish was only of medium quality and wasn’t quite as good as the last time we visited. Still, it is tastier than what is available in Las Vegas at a much more reasonable price point.

I desired some cookies so I walked to Ben’s Cookies in the Ginza Six building where I selected a ginger and chocolate cookie alongside a double chocolate cookie. Both were delicious, but the ginger and chocolate cookie was quite unique and I preferred it.

July 22

I woke up and walked to Hibiya Park before running counter-clockwise around the Imperial Palace for twenty minutes. I was so ridiculously hot at the end that sweat was dripping down my arms and rolling off my fingers for the next fifteen minutes. It was unpleasant to say the least. I was glad I did it, though, and felt great afterwards. I was definitely ready for breakfast.

After showering and packing up, I visited the aforementioned ramen shop and, again, found it closed for business. Instead of finding another restaurant, I decided to stop at a local Starbucks, slowly sip a mocha, and relax for an hour. Following that, I returned to the hotel, grabbed my bag, and headed to the airport. Because I had plenty of time, I decided to take the Toei Asakusa Line from Higashi-ginza Station directly to Narita Terminal 1.

I fetched my boarding pass from a kiosk and headed through the priority security line before proceeding through immigration. Afterwards, I spent a couple of hours in the ANA Suite Lounge. There, I enjoyed chicken curry and tonkotsu ramen while doing some plane spotting. You can see one of All Nippon Airways’ famous Flying Honu A380 planes in the following photo.

I left the lounge twenty-five minutes before boarding to stretch my legs. Again, I was the first passenger in first class. ANA’s new first class seat is incredible. It is huge with tons of storage space and an absurdly large monitor. The flight experience was wonderful. I ordered the Japanese cuisine and, after enjoying every dish, fell soundly asleep in my freshly made up bed. I was able to sleep almost six hours, waking two hours before landing.

When I arrived in San Francisco, I cleared immigration and headed to the Centurion Lounge for a quick bite before boarding my next flight. The short-haul service to Las Vegas was pleasant, and Angela rolled up right as I hit the passenger pickup area, bringing an end to another exciting journey full of new and interesting experiences.