In my close to thirty years in Japan, I have visited the Mt. Fuji region more times that I can count, for my annual Mt. Fuji Photography Workshop tour, Essence of cherry blossom photography workshop, Essence of autumn photography workshop, and my annual Hokkaido photography tour. My first home/cottage in Japan is just 30 minutes drive from Mt. Fuji, so I am often explore the region for my personal adventures such as camping, day trips with family and scouting the region to uncover more of authentic Japan for my participants for future Japan photo workshops. One location I always return to during my explorations is the Dragon Cafe near one of the Fuji Five Lakes. Actually, there are six lakes, but 95% of the people I know still refer to them as Fuji Five Lakes, so I stick with that. The entire area is a nature photographer’s dream come true as Aokigahara, the Sea of Trees, surrounds the Dragon Cave, a natural rampart. The forest itself is a phenomenal, legendary forest that spans two thousand and four hundred hectares across the Northwest base of Mt. Fuji, and all the trees in the forest grow in volcanic planting pots, as there is no soil in the forest, also there are countless caves throughout. Incidentally, I highly recommend sticking to the walking paths if you visit the forest or you may never be heard from again, especially if traveling alone, as it’s easy to get turned around in the forest to say nothing of the razor sharp volcanic lava tubes with openings spread out all over the labyrinthine forest, which is what this Dragon Cave is. If you travel with me, you’ll have nothing to worry about, as I know almost the entirety of the Aokigahara like the back of my hand. When I introduce the cave to visiting photographers, many have said they sense the energy from this vortexal power spot, and I share part of the legend associated with this massive cave system, a location fit for a dragon. Many people automatically assign a male gender to a dragon when first thinking about them, but the most famous tale associated with the cave is a Dragon Princess (Ryujin no Miko) who would venture out of the cave to the nearby Fuji lake and play with the local fishermen. In exchange for their time spent keeping her company, she extended her kindness, offering the fishermen mystical treasures and bountiful catches when fishing in the Fuji Five Lakes. The female dragon association has also made this location popular for fertility, as many couples believe if they make a wish for a healthy family that it will be granted, the Dragon Princess gifting more good will to those who pray and make offerings at the mouth of her cave. Whenever I visit, I always take in the energy and Shinrin Yoku, and although I don’t pray for anything at the Shinto Shrine in the cave fertility related, my participants and I always seem to walk away with magical photos.
