Chubu, Japan · Lake, Mountain
The Fuji Five Lakes area, with the mountain's most iconic views: Lake Kawaguchiko, Chureito Pagoda rising above Mt. Fuji, the pond village of Oshino Hakkai, and ryokan with hot springs facing the mountain directly.
Train — The tourist-oriented 'Fuji Excursion' limited express runs as a direct service from Shinjuku (no physical transfer, though it changes operator mid-route): JR Chuo Line to Otsuki, then the private Fujikyuko Line to Kawaguchiko, ~114min, ¥4,130 single ticket. The JR segment (Shinjuku-Otsuki) is covered by the Japan Rail Pass; the final Fujikyuko segment (Otsuki-Kawaguchiko, 26.6km) is a private railway requiring a separate supplement (~¥1,570) even with a pass. Cheaper alternative without a pass: direct highway bus from Shinjuku, ~2h, ¥2,200-2,300.
The most photographed image of Mt. Fuji: a red five-story pagoda framing the mountain in the background, after climbing about 400 steps from Arakura Sengen Shrine.
The most used route starts at the fifth station, reached by bus from the lake. Season from early July to early September, with new rules since 2025: a 4,000 yen fee, compulsory online booking, a cap of 4,000 people a day, the gate closed from 14:00 to 3:00 unless you have a hut booked, and checks on footwear and warm clothing. Climbing overnight without sleeping in a hut is discouraged.
An amusement park with several roller coasters that have held world records, plus a Thomas children's area and another devoted to Naruto; entry is free and you pay per ride or with a pass.
Two lava tubes from Fuji itself that you walk through inside (one holds ice all year, the other a constant cold draught), linked by an official walkway that crosses the lava forest.
Kimono dyed with a 16th-century technique recovered by the artist, hung in series so that together they form a continuous landscape of mountains and seasons, in a coral stone building surrounded by garden.
An avenue of giant cedars leading to the torii where the climb up Fuji traditionally begins: pilgrims to the volcano purified themselves here before setting off.
The most accessible of the Fuji Five Lakes, with a short scenic cruise and several viewpoints along the north shore where the mountain reflects in the water on clear days.
Motosu gives the view of Fuji that appears on the 1,000 yen note, Shoji is the smallest and quietest, Yamanaka the largest and with perfect reflections, and Sai the most wooded.
On 26 and 27 August some 70 torches three metres tall are lit along the main street to close the climbing season; it is counted among the three most unusual festivals in Japan.
Extremely hard, very chewy noodles, served with cabbage and horse meat, in houses that open their own living room at midday and take cash only.
About 18 flat kilometres around the lake, with rental next to the station, and kayak or paddle board outings with the volcano behind.
A thousand years of weaving silk at the foot of the volcano, with looms producing the finest jacquard; there is a factory shop, workshop visits and a textile festival in autumn.
A street of retro facades with Fuji framed at the end, the most repeated image in the area. Be aware that some nearby photo spots are signposted or fenced off because of overcrowding problems: photograph from where the town hall indicates and do not block pavements or businesses.
The north shore of the lake fills with lavender in June and July and with red kokia bushes in autumn, always with Fuji in the background.
It explains why Fuji is World Heritage as a sacred site and not as a natural site, with a huge model of the mountain; entry is free.
Elongated houses that lodged the confraternities who climbed Fuji out of devotion; they are part of the World Heritage listing and in some of them you can still sleep.
A traditional village with eight spring-fed ponds of exceptional clarity, fed by Mt. Fuji's snowmelt, surrounded by thatched-roof houses and local food stalls.
Three minutes in a cabin up to a viewpoint with the lake below and Fuji opposite; the place is decorated with the tale of the rabbit and the tanuki, which takes place on this mountain.
Several ryokan in the area have outdoor hot spring baths facing Mt. Fuji directly, one of the most sought-after onsen combinations in all of Japan.
From mid-April to late May, whole slopes of pink moss phlox with the volcano behind; in November, a lit maple corridor beside the lake.
The weather radar that stood on the summit of Fuji for 35 years from 1964, brought down and turned into a museum, with a cold chamber that simulates the cold of the summit.
A collection of European automatic and dance organs, including an orchestrion from the Titanic era, in a rose garden with Fuji behind.
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