Standing at 3776 meters, Mount Fuji is the highest mountain in Japan, and one of its most iconic symbols. Seeing Mt Fuji in person has been on my bucket list for a long time. Somehow Mt Fuji always seemed too far away the previous times I visited Japan, or other things on the itinerary were of higher priority, so I really wanted to make a trip down to see it this time. I’d managed to catch a quick glimpse of Mt Fuji from afar on board the shinkansen from Kyoto to Tokyo, and it made me even more eager to get a closer look. After spending a night in an incredibly modern capsule hotel in Shinjuku, we hopped over to the nearby Shinjuku Expressway Bus Terminal the next morning to get to Lake Kawaguchiko, the most accessible of the Fuji Five Lakes.

Getting There & Getting Around

Getting to Lake Kawaguchiko is pretty straightforward. My friend had already purchased tickets online for the three of us via highwaybus.com, so we just had to show our online tickets to get onto the bus at the Shinjuku Express Bus Terminal. Side note: I love how organized and well-labeled everything is in Tokyo. Although the number of signs and different lines might be a little overwhelming at first, I found it quite easy to navigate the public transport just by looking at the signs and following the directions to the right bus/train line.

The highway bus was cool and comfortable, with conveniently placed in-seat USB ports to charge your phone and sufficient storage for your luggage bags. It only took us about 1h 45min to get to Kawaguchiko station, so visiting Lake Kawaguchiko would be a great day trip from Tokyo. An adult ticket costs 1,750 JPY for a one-way trip.

To get around Lake Kawaguchiko, the most efficient method would be to use the sightseeing buses. Fares start from 150 JPY, and the buses should stop at all the main tourist attractions. We only used the Red Line, which traverses the eastern side of Lake Kawaguchiko, but there are other lines that will take you further out.

View 1: Mt Fuji Panoramic Ropeway

Previously known as the Mt Kachi Kachi Ropeway, the Mt Fuji Panoramic Ropeway is a quick and easy way to see Mt Fuji from high up, across Lake Kawaguchiko. A roundtrip ticket for an adult costs 800 JPY.

Ascending via the ropeway was a pretty fun experience – you’ll get a bird’s eye view of the lake and the surrounding area. After a short 3min ride in the glass gondola, you can make your way to the observatory deck that sits at an altitude of a cool 1,075m. Despite the relatively high altitude, we didn’t feel any different, so don’t let the height deter you. However, Mt Fuji seemed a little too far away, so this wasn’t my favorite view of it.

Address: 1163-1 Azagawa‬, ‪Minamitsuru,‪ Fujikawaguchiko,‪ Yamanashi Prefecture

View 2: Oishi Park

The rather adorably named Oishi Park can be accessed by taking the Red Line bus all the way to the last stop, the Kawaguchiko Natural Living Center. Oishi Park sits on the northern coast of Lake Kawaguchiko, so it’s a little closer to Mt Fuji than most of the other viewing points along the Red Line. With the lake and a field of reeds in the foreground and the majestic Mt Fuji in the background, Oishi Park makes for a great photo opportunity.

There’s also an area with seasonal flowers, though when we visited in late May, at the tail end of the flower festival season, it seemed like we’d just missed most of the flowers.

Considering how easy it is to access Oishi Park by bus, I’d say that if I had to pick just one, this would be my favorite spot to view Mt Fuji. Definitely worth a visit!

Address: Japan, 〒401-0305 Yamanashi-ken, Minamitsuru-gun, Fujikawaguchiko-machi, Ōishi, 2585-2 地先

View 3: Kawaguchiko-Ohashi Bridge

With less than an hour to sunset, we decided to take a slow walk across the 1,600m Kawaguchiko-Ohashi bridge back towards our hostel for the night. It was a rather peaceful and calming walk, and because it was so quiet, with few cars and people passing by, it felt like we had the whole place to ourselves.

Unfortunately, it was unexpectedly windy, and thinking that it wouldn’t be cold, I had foolishly only worn a thin shirt and a hole-ly cardigan, which were both practically useless against the wind. And so as my friends continued taking a time-lapse of the sunset, I ran off in search of a warmer place to take shelter.

As the night fell, though, we suddenly realized that there wasn’t much else to do in the area. In the darkness and stillness of the night, everything was closed, and we wouldn’t be able to see Mt Fuji anyway. Maybe it was the day, the time of the year, or maybe we were just plain unlucky, but we couldn’t even find a restaurant open for business around our (admittedly far away) hostel. Tired and hungry from all that walking, we could only buy instant noodles and snacks from the nearby convenience store to eat at our hostel. Part of the reason why we decided to stay overnight was that we’d initially planned to wake up early the next morning to watch the sunrise, but I think by then we were a bit oversaturated with Mt Fuji, so we decided to sleep in instead.

So if you’re planning a trip to Lake Kawaguchiko just to see Mt Fuji and not to hike, my advice would be to do it as a day trip and return to Tokyo for the night, where there’s so much more to see, do, and eat regardless of the time. While I definitely enjoyed seeing Mt Fuji with my own eyes and I’m glad to finally strike it off my bucket list, I don’t see myself returning to Lake Kawaguchiko any time soon.

If you liked this, why not check out what it’s like to stay in one of the coolest capsule hotels in Tokyo here? You might also find 3 Days in Kyoto: What to Eat, See, and Do and 7 Must-Do Things When In Osaka helpful.