Swan Riding at Yamanaka Lake,Yamanashi Prefecture

Hello !! Siah here again <3

It is summer here in Japan!! The average temperature recently is around 30-35 degrees!
Too hot isn’t it?
My summer vacation has just started, so me and my friends decided to go somewhere else to run away from the hot sun !
And here is a definitely good place I would recommend!!

Does this look like a sea to you ? Actually it is a lake named - 山中湖 Yamanaka Lake ,located at the Yamanashi Prefecture.

And yes, the mountain in the picture, is the well known famous Fuji San (Mount Fuji)!! You might wonder where is the snow that usually covers the summit. Well sad to say, all the snow melted because of the hot weather.

People often ask me about Fuji-San.

Basically there are 3 kinds of people. Some people want to :

1)Climb to the summit themselves ( for adventurous mountain climbers)

2)View and enjoy the scenery of Fujisan from far (for typical tourist who like to take pictures )

3)Try climbing the mountain a little with the minimum burden ( people who just want to experience the feeling of climbing but not till that extend to climb to the summit)

Well , this post is meant for people type number 2 !
Which means if you prefer to enjoy the scenery of Fujisan from far instead of experiencing the mountain climbing, Yamanako Lake might be your best choice.

With the  perfect combination of  weather around 20-25 degree celsius and the wide sky and lake which seems to have unlimited boundaries,plus the companion of the mighty Fujisan, you will be able to achieve perfect spiritual relaxation here!

Anyway, just looking at the mountain might sound a little boring.
So this is what I would recommend you to do, which is Swan Riding !!

Perfect combination of swans and the Yamanako lakewater and the tall Fujisan.

There are many water activities that you can do at the lake. And you can find them easily at the surrounding of the lake. Swan riding is one of the easiest activity to participate in ,especially for people who are lazy and weak in sports like me.

By the way, is this a duck ? Or a swan? I suddenly got confused. ((+_+))

One boat can fit 3 person , and it is 2000 yen for 30 minutes. Which means it cost 650 yen per person if you have 3 persons. (I managed to get to get a discount from the person in charge for 1500 yen per boat. So do not hesitate to ask for discounts!)

And what is next? Nothing , but ENJOY! Just paddle and you are ready to go!!
There is a steering wheel and pedals for 2 inside.

Paddle backwards if you want to go backwards, and paddle frontward if you want to move to the front. Use the steering wheel to control the movements to left or right.

Here I go!!
I can’t ride a bicycle but I can proudly say I can ride a swan !!)^o^(

My friend bought water guns and played the water shooting game for the all time.
I am not a good shooter nor a good rider, always got left behind.

So picture taking were the only thing that I could do.

My shot with Fujisan and Yamanaka Lake!

Paddling is a good diet and really causes sweating. However with the cooling weather we really had a lot of fun!

Two swans were in love ? Look carefully and you will find they are actually having a war!!

I think this activity perfectly suits the needs of everyone.

Family , friends and couples can spend their precious time on the lake while admiring the beautiful sceneries of Fujisan!!

Children can just sit in the middle safely while parents do all the paddling job.

I really had fun with my friends. The happy memories we had together on this Yamanaka Lake will remain in my heart, forever and ever!

For your information, you can access to Yamanaka Lake by car ,train or bus.

For further transport information, please refer to the link below :

http://yamanakako.info/access.php

There are also many traditional hotels (ryokan in Japanese) where you can stay over around the Yamanaka Lake. So , need not to rush ! Have a stay over and enjoy the traditional Tatami rooms or the hot springs ( Onsen) at night. 

Wish you have a enjoyable time at Yamanaka Lake with your love ones!!

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