Japan's iconic mountain rises over 12,000 feet - with just a few "hills" in the surrounding area, Mt. Fuji dominates the local landscape and on a clear day can be seen in Tokyo - sixty miles to the northeast. Despite the mountain's proximity to Tokyo, most travelers struggle to fit a visit to the mountain within their limited schedule. During the summer there are fewer clear days so most people are hesitant to burn a vacation day if they may not be able to see the mountain. The warmer temperatures have also melted the snow cap associated with the picture postcard image - although this makes it possible to reach to the summit without the need for crampons and mountaineering gear.
I spent ten days in Tokyo and had the luxury of checking the weather forecast daily to see when visibility may be at it's greatest. The clearest day was in the middle of the week so I reserved a bus ticket the night before. I researched several Mt. Fuji viewing locations before deciding to visit Lake Kawaguchi. Visiting this area would allow me to view Mt. Fuji with a beautiful lake in the foreground and after taking a few photos continue with another bus ride to Mt. Fuji 5th Station and hike to the summit. I arrived at Lake Kawaguchi around 9am and picked up a walking map at the bus/train station's information office. Lake Kawaguchi is a ten minute walk from the train station but it will take about thirty minutes in total to walk to the far side of the lake for an unobstructed Mt. Fuji view.
As I arrived at the viewing area the clouds started to part and I had a perfect view of Mt. Fuji. Besides a local fisherman and a few Japanese tourists I had the lake to myself. I ordered a cup of coffee from one of the lakeside hotels and sat outside for an hour to further enjoy the scenery. Content with my visit, I passed on continuing with the summit climb and was back in Tokyo mid-afternoon. Had the initial cloud cover persisted I would have partially climbed the mountain to get an up close view of Mt. Fuji.
I spent ten days in Tokyo and had the luxury of checking the weather forecast daily to see when visibility may be at it's greatest. The clearest day was in the middle of the week so I reserved a bus ticket the night before. I researched several Mt. Fuji viewing locations before deciding to visit Lake Kawaguchi. Visiting this area would allow me to view Mt. Fuji with a beautiful lake in the foreground and after taking a few photos continue with another bus ride to Mt. Fuji 5th Station and hike to the summit. I arrived at Lake Kawaguchi around 9am and picked up a walking map at the bus/train station's information office. Lake Kawaguchi is a ten minute walk from the train station but it will take about thirty minutes in total to walk to the far side of the lake for an unobstructed Mt. Fuji view.
As I arrived at the viewing area the clouds started to part and I had a perfect view of Mt. Fuji. Besides a local fisherman and a few Japanese tourists I had the lake to myself. I ordered a cup of coffee from one of the lakeside hotels and sat outside for an hour to further enjoy the scenery. Content with my visit, I passed on continuing with the summit climb and was back in Tokyo mid-afternoon. Had the initial cloud cover persisted I would have partially climbed the mountain to get an up close view of Mt. Fuji.
|
|
|
|
|
MT. FUJI - SEASONAL PHOTO COMPARISON
WINTER SNOW-CAPPED MT. FUJI
|
SUMMER MT. FUJI
|
MT. FUJI VIEWING LOCATIONS
Once you've decided to visit Mt. Fuji you'll need to narrow down the decision to the exact area.
Japan Talk provides a list of the Top Nine Places to See Mt. Fuji. Most of these places can easily be reached via a day trip from Tokyo but also provide accommodation should you decide to make the journey a multi-day trip. Lake Kawaguchi is the closest and therefore the best chance at visibility. Even if the other locations have a sunny forecast it's still possible that cloud cover will obstruct views. Lake Kawaguchi had limited dining options with Mt. Fuji views - the hotel coffee was all I could find - but there are more choices along the eastern side of the lake between the train station and the viewing area.
Japan Talk provides a list of the Top Nine Places to See Mt. Fuji. Most of these places can easily be reached via a day trip from Tokyo but also provide accommodation should you decide to make the journey a multi-day trip. Lake Kawaguchi is the closest and therefore the best chance at visibility. Even if the other locations have a sunny forecast it's still possible that cloud cover will obstruct views. Lake Kawaguchi had limited dining options with Mt. Fuji views - the hotel coffee was all I could find - but there are more choices along the eastern side of the lake between the train station and the viewing area.
LAKE KAWAGUCHIKO TRANSPORTATION
This area of Japan is well serviced by both trains and buses. I used a combination of the two taking a bus from Tokyo's Shinjuku Station to Lake Kawaguchi, then when there was a three hour wait for a bus return, I took local and express trains back to Tokyo. The one-way bus ticket was 1,750 YEN; the one-way train ticket was 2,450 YEN - free with Japan Rail Pass [Station Name: Kawaguchiko]. A bus is the only way to reach Mt. Fuji 5th Station to start the summit climb. From Lake Kawaguchi the round-trip ticket costs 2,100 YEN.
To reserve a bus ticket to Mt. Fuji / Lake Kawaguchi area check Keio Express Buses.
To reserve a bus ticket to Mt. Fuji / Lake Kawaguchi area check Keio Express Buses.
WEATHER AND VISIBILITY CAMERA
I used Google and Mountain Forecast to check the weather.
There are Mt. Fuji Web Cams but given the two hour transit time between Tokyo and Lake Kawaguchi cloud conditional will likely change. Cloud cover is supposedly at it's lightest around sunrise and sunset.
There are Mt. Fuji Web Cams but given the two hour transit time between Tokyo and Lake Kawaguchi cloud conditional will likely change. Cloud cover is supposedly at it's lightest around sunrise and sunset.
For additional information on how to reach other viewing locations and local bus schedules see Japan Guide Mt. Fuji Listing. Japan Guide also provides the most current information on Summit Hikes.