Photographs and trip notes by Evan Pike. Travel: May 2026.

At about two in the afternoon on May 15, clouds were hiding much of Fuji. We were standing beside a field of pink flowers, with only part of the mountain showing. A little over two hours later, we had a clear view across Lake Kawaguchi, with blue flowers in front and snow on the summit.

Both were part of the same afternoon. It was a good example of why I like to give the Fuji area some time—and why there needs to be more to the day than waiting for the mountain.

Our May journey began in Tokyo, with art, architecture, and a cooking lesson before we headed toward Fuji, Kanazawa, and Miyajima.

Art and architecture in Tokyo

We spent part of May 13 at teamLab Borderless, surrounded by light and reflections. In the room with the hanging spheres, the group seemed to repeat in every direction. Even the phone taking the photograph became part of the scene.

Later that morning, we looked out across Tokyo, with Tokyo Tower rising among the buildings. It was quite a switch after being inside those mirrored rooms: suddenly we could see the city spreading all the way toward the water.

Visitors and hanging illuminated spheres repeated in mirrors inside an immersive art installation.
Among the lights and reflections at teamLab Borderless.
An elevated daytime view of Tokyo Tower among dense city buildings.
Tokyo Tower and the surrounding city, May 13.

The next morning we visited Tokyo International Forum. The glass hall is worth looking up for. White beams curve overhead, with walkways crossing through the space and a tall wooden wall along one side.

Tokyo can keep a camera busy without going anywhere near a famous crossing. On this part of the trip, we had time to look at the buildings themselves.

White structural ribs and glass above a curved wooden wall inside Tokyo International Forum.
Looking up inside Tokyo International Forum.

A home cooking lesson in Tokyo

That afternoon, we joined a cooking lesson in a Japanese home. Aprons went on, ingredients were laid out at the counter, and the group helped prepare the meal before sitting down with our hosts.

The photographs catch two parts of the evening: everyone concentrating on the food, then everyone around the table afterward. The plates were mostly empty by the time we took the group photograph, which seems about right.

We had left time for the lesson and dinner in the schedule. A visit like this deserves an afternoon of its own. It also gives a trip something that is hard to get from moving between sightseeing stops all day: time in someone’s home, doing something together.

Two participants in aprons preparing food at a kitchen counter with trays of ingredients.
Preparing food together during the home cooking lesson.
Travelers and hosts seated together around a dining table after a home-cooked meal.
Around the table after the meal, May 14.

May flowers and changing views of Mount Fuji

The following day brought us to the flowers near Fuji. The pink field was still worth stopping for while clouds covered the mountain. Later, beside the lake, blue flowers filled the foreground and Fuji was much clearer.

I would not have wanted to judge the day by that first view. We could enjoy what was in front of us and still have another opportunity later. The contrast between the two stops was part of the pleasure of the afternoon.

A field of pink and pale flowers with mountain slopes partly obscured by large clouds.
Pink flowers beneath a cloud-covered Fuji in the early afternoon.
Blue flowers and reeds in front of a lake and snow-capped Mount Fuji.
A clearer view later that afternoon, with blue flowers beside the lake.

Two nights and time for gardens in Kanazawa

By the next afternoon, we were in Kanazawa, sitting beside an open view into a green garden. Wood, paper screens, and the garden filled the space around us. After Tokyo and the broad views around Fuji, it was a welcome change of scale.

The following day included another kind of garden setting: a reflecting pool beside a long stone wall, with fresh green trees above it. There was very little to distract from the water and the light.

The plan allowed two nights in Kanazawa, with a full day between arriving and moving on. That is a useful amount of space in an itinerary: time to arrive, get your bearings, and still have a day that does not begin with packing for the next train.

Four travelers seated in a traditional room beside an open view into a green garden.
A garden view together in Kanazawa, May 16.
A still reflecting pool beside a pale stone wall, with green trees and blue sky above.
Trees, stone, and reflections in Kanazawa the next day.

Sunset on Miyajima

We had also planned two nights on Miyajima. The island would be our base for this part of the trip, with time for Hiroshima as well. On May 18, we reached the island. By evening, the sky behind the torii was orange and the wet sand held a reflection of the gate. We took portraits by the shore, then spent more time photographing as the light softened.

Other visitors were out enjoying the evening too. Some were making their own portraits beside the gate; others were walking across the sand. It was a lovely place to be at that hour.

The flowers around Fuji, dinner in Tokyo, the gardens in Kanazawa, and this evening on Miyajima gave the May trip plenty of variety. Cherry blossoms get a lot of attention when people think about spring in Japan. This journey had its own reasons to stop, look around, and stay a little longer.

Two travelers smiling in front of the great torii with an orange sunset behind them.
A portrait with the torii and the evening sky on Miyajima.
Miyajima’s great torii reflected in shallow water at sunset, with visitors beside it.
The gate and its reflection as the evening light softened.

Planning a May trip to Japan

This trip is a good example of how much there is to enjoy after the cherry blossoms. I would give Fuji time without making the whole day depend on a clear view, leave a full afternoon for a cooking lesson, and consider two nights where you want a day without changing hotels. In Kanazawa and on Miyajima, that was the pace we planned.

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