Guesthouse Sakuya — Hotel in Fujikawaguchiko

We were looking for a quiet & authentic place with a traditional feel (think wooden flooring, cottage like, family cook), with a view of Mt Fuji by the window. We found it here at Sakuya! It is 5 min drive from bus stop 22 (Natural living Centre/ Oshi Park). The innkeeper Watanabe san, was able to pick us up at anytime from this bus stop, if not, it’s 3-4pm at Kawaguchiko train station. We took the red line sightseeing bus and ventured along the red line & was glad to stop by at the most lovely sight of autumn at the Momiji corridor. After which, we took the same red bus to bus stop 22 (last stop), a lovely view of Mt Fuji and a cafe. Watanabe mentioned to ask the cafe to call him n he will be down in 5 mins. Sakuya is quiet with mostly foreign guests. We were allowed private family onsen after 5pm till 11pm, at no extra charge. Dinner and breakfast have to be pre-ordered. It was mainly basic Japanese fare. No great options for vegetarians - only Japanese stewed vegetables & rice n miso. No mention of what will be served either except you have to choose chicken, fish or pork. Watanabe can speak simple English but he does not engage guests or linger around. Pretty task oriented innkeeper. His assistant a lady was equally non smiling & quite intimidating too. I thought Japanese are friendly, apparently not all. All in all, Sakuya delivers a homely touch for the view, the well kept place, ensuite bathroom, private onsen. Note: nothing much around the inn as it’s up on a hill and it will be tough to cycle or run around the area. The inn is surrounded...

This trip has been the first time my daughter and I have visited Japan. We stayed 3 nights at Guesthouse Sakuya which was a perfect antidote after busy Tokyo and I'm very glad we found it. It's a very simple place, but clean and tidy, and that is it's charm. My daughter loved the Japanese style room we had, the onsen was fabulous and we were able to use it privately (though they did say this was not always possible as the public can apply to use it as well as hotel guests) and the home cooked food was delicious. The owners were incredibly helpful in many ways; we had not hired a car and he collected us with our luggage from one of the sightseeing bus stops after the tourist information office phoned him for us, he dropped us back to Kawaguchiko station for a small charge (leaving the guesthouse at 6.30) so we could get our bus as there were no taxis available the morning of our checkout when they checked for me on arrival, he seemed to understand what museums etc we might enjoy and was quite right. On our last night he sat and chatted with an American couple to help them find places they would enjoy in the area as well. His wife was incredibly helpful at check in, explaining things very clearly and there are signs in English to help as well. Clearly very hard working hoteliers and staying here was a highlight of our...

This was the best stay I had during our 3 weeks trip in Japan. The owner is genuinely nice and hospitable. We arrived late at Kawaguchiko station, and the next bus going to the hotel is more than an hour wait. We thought we call Guesthouse Sakuya to see if they can suggest other forms of transportation besides taxi. The owner picked up the phone and said he will pick us up in 15 minutes and even asked if we ate anything.

The property is definitely pleasant and cozy, just like visiting a cottage. There are breakfast and dinner offered onsite. There are 2 onsen you can reserve privately. Great for couples, families, and anyone with tattoos.

Room was big enough for the 3 us. It was clean and warm. Our view was magnificent. We couldn’t see Mount Fuji due to the weather condition, but it was definitely beautiful. Once we checked out, the owner asked where we are going and offered to give us a ride.

We definitely felt like we were treated like loyal guests. Will definitely recommend this property to our friends and families. Because we couldn’t see Mount Fuji, it gives us a reason to come back...