Gotemba Kogen illumination

We're quite lucky that the Gotemba Kogen is so close to us. In warmer weather we frequently stop for a post-ride beer, and though we do stand out a little with our helmets and bikes in tow, we are well-enough recognized that the manager often chats with us as we soak up the sunshine and quaff a brew on the spacious "lawn" of the beer hall.

This winter weather of course is much too chilly for outdoor eating and drinking, but there are several restaurants offering the same great beer and lots of great food including an all-you-can-eat option. This, combined with a free shuttle-bus from our nearby station, made the Kogen the perfect choice for dinner with a couple of friends.

However, winter also brings the unfortunate but popular "illumination" to the Kogen. A few years ago, they began putting up decorative lights in the winter and each year they just keep getting more and more gaudy. Who'd want to see this tunnel of lights instead of the stars that they obscure? Well- just about everybody! The Illumination is a great attraction and people come to the resort from all over Japan. They come by car and by tourist bus; they come in twos and threes, and in droves. As a result, when we arrived for dinner on Thursday night (sans reservation) we had a 90 minute wait to be seated!

We decided to have a beer while walking around and viewing the bright lights of the small city...


Illumination at the Gotemba Kogen Resort in Gotemba city:




Ok, I suppose it's not that bad. And, I have to say, dinner at the buffet restaurant was fantastic as usual.

To see the Gotemba Kogen site in English, click here.