The area around Mount Fuji and Lake Kawaguchiko was very chilly the night that we were there. After standing outside for 5 minutes we were looking for hot drinks and hot food to thaw us out. The local tourist information office recommended that we visit a restaurant serving Hoto, a dish from the Yamanashi Prefecture. I am so happy they did!!
Hoto is served in a huge cast iron bowl piping hot, and it is a soup made of miso broth and filled with lots of vegetables, hand pulled noodles, and aburaage tofu (twice fried). I especially liked the pieces of kabocha, a japanese pumpkin variety with a green, not orange skin, and a darker colored inside than a sugar pumpkin. I think I may need to find a recipe to make hoto at home later, since it is super filling, has lots of veggies, and is exactly what I crave on a dark winter day.