Yamanashi Prefecture

Introduction

Lake Kawaguchiko in Yamanashi Prefecture is one of the best places to see Mount Fuji up close, and on clear days, you can enjoy the “Upside-Down Fuji” reflection on the lake 🗻.
It also has good tourist facilities such as a sightseeing boat, a ropeway, and footbath cafes, so it is a great place to stay and relax.

Nearby Oshino Hakkai is a traditional village made up of eight springs fed by Mount Fuji’s underground water.
The scenery of clear, deep spring water and thatched-roof houses lets you feel old Japan, and it is also popular as a scenic photo spot with Mount Fuji in the background.

At the Sengen Park viewpoint in Shimoyoshida, you can enjoy a unique view of a red five-story pagoda together with Mount Fuji.
You need some stamina because you must climb about 400 steps, but the view at the top is a rewarding payoff.
Honcho Street below is a quiet shopping street, and recently it has become a popular photo spot as well.

If you want thrills, Fuji-Q Highland is highly recommended 🎢.
With many attractions, including Guinness record-holding roller coasters, it is popular with friends, couples, and families.

The Mount Fuji area offers much more than only Lake Kawaguchiko.
If your schedule allows, it is recommended to visit nearby spots together.

Efficient travel route around Kawaguchiko

It is nice to take your time around Lake Kawaguchiko, but nearby you will also find many attractive spots such as Fuji-Q Highland, Oshino Hakkai, Shimoyoshida Honcho Street, and the Sengen Park viewpoint, so it can feel too short to visit only Kawaguchiko.

Of course, visiting every spot in one day is not realistic, so the best approach is to choose about two places that match your interests and move efficiently.

If you leave Tokyo a bit earlier, you can visit up to three places on a day trip, and a 1-night, 2-day plan is even more relaxed.

Or if you want to see Mount Fuji more comfortably on a day trip from Tokyo, a bus tour that includes transport and sightseeing can be the best option.
With public transport, you need to manage transfers and timing, but with a bus tour, you only need to arrive at the meeting point on time, and the guide will manage the schedule, so you can enjoy Mount Fuji without stress.

Important notes for highway buses 🚍

• If you plan to stop at Shimoyoshida first and then go to Kawaguchiko, note that some highway buses from Shinjuku do not stop at Shimoyoshida. Always check the timetable and stop list before booking.
• If you take a route that does not stop there, you must get off at Fuji-Q Highland or Kawaguchiko Station and then travel back to Shimoyoshida, which causes extra time and transport costs.
• It is also important to set the correct departure and arrival stops when booking. For example, if you book as “departing from Kawaguchiko” but try to board at Shimoyoshida, there may be no seat available. Always book for the stop you will actually use.

Kawaguchiko

Kawaguchiko has recently become one of the most popular day-trip destinations near Tokyo.

“Kawaguchiko (河口湖)” means “Lake Kawaguchi,” and it is well known for its spectacular scenery where Mount Fuji and the lake come together. It is also widely nicknamed a “Mount Fuji view hotspot.”

There are two main ways to enjoy Mount Fuji and the lake properly.

• Ride a bicycle along the lake to Nagasaki Park
• Take the Mt. Fuji Panoramic Ropeway up to the observation deck

1) Bicycle rental 🚲

• You need passport information, so prepare it in advance
• Regular bike: about 500 yen for 1 hour / 1,500 yen for 3 hours / about 2,500 yen for a full day
• E-bike: about 600 yen for 1 hour (varies by shop)

2) Mt. Fuji Panoramic Ropeway 🏞️

• This is the setting of the Japanese folk tale “Kachi Kachi Yama (かちかち山),” and at the ropeway entrance, you will be greeted by the story’s main characters: a tanuki (raccoon dog) and a rabbit.
• Despite the cute image, the story itself is quite harsh. It is about a kind rabbit taking revenge on a bad tanuki. Details are available in the link below.
• At the viewpoint, there is Usagi Shrine (Rabbit Shrine). Among the two rabbit statues, the left one (standing rabbit) symbolizes strong legs, and the right one (sitting rabbit) symbolizes a smart mind. A local legend says that touching them brings good luck in that area.
• Recommended for travelers who want to see Mount Fuji and Lake Kawaguchi from a higher viewpoint.
• Operating hours
  • Weekdays: 09:00 ~ 16:00 (last descent 16:20)
  • Weekends and holidays: 09:00 ~ 17:00 (last descent 17:20)
  • Fare: Round trip adult 900 yen / child 450 yen, one way adult 500 yen / child 250 yen

3) Kawaguchiko photo spots 📸

• Railway crossing near Kawaguchiko Station
• Nagasaki Park (about 5 km from Kawaguchiko Station)
• Lawson Kawaguchiko Ekimae convenience store
  • A screen was once installed due to too many visitors, but now the screen has been removed and only a fence remains. Never cross the road illegally.

Oshino Hakkai

The name “Oshino Hakkai (忍野八海)” combines the place name “Oshino” with “Hakkai,” meaning “eight seas.”

There is no sea here. It refers to eight spring ponds formed by Mount Fuji snowmelt that flows through the ground and comes up as spring water.

Around the village, you can see preserved traditional houses in the gassho-zukuri (合掌造り) style. This style is known for its steep thatched roof that looks like hands pressed together, and it is designed to withstand heavy snow.

Because Oshino Hakkai is a naturally formed village, you can walk around freely with no entrance fee, and extra fees apply only when using places like the observation deck or the folk museum.

1) How to get there

From Kawaguchiko Station or Fujisan Station, take the Fujikko-go (ふじっ湖号) loop bus, the Limited Express Oshino Hakkai bus, or a route bus toward Gotemba, and get off at the “Oshino Hakkai (忍野八海)” bus stop.

• From Kawaguchiko Station: 620 yen one way
• From Fujisan Station: 450 yen one way

2) The eight ponds

The most famous pond, Nakaike (中池), is not actually included in the official eight ponds of Oshino Hakkai.

Below is the list of the official eight ponds of Oshino Hakkai. Click each name to open its location on Google Maps.

• Deguchiike (出口池): The largest and quietest pond. In the past, it was considered the final purification spot for Mount Fuji pilgrims.
• Okamaike (お釜池): The smallest pond. Known for water bubbling up like a boiling pot.
• Sokonashiike (底抜池): The “bottomless pond.” Located inside the folk museum, so an entrance fee is required.
• Choshiike (銚子池): Shaped like a sake bottle. Sand flows and blends with the water.
• Wakuike (涌池): The center of Oshino Hakkai. More than 840,000 liters spring up per day, and in 1983, it was used as water for Space Shuttle Challenger experiments.
• Nigoriike (濁池): The name means “cloudy pond,” but the water is clear. There is a legend with a lesson about consideration.
• Kagamiike (鏡池): The pond that reflects “Upside-Down Fuji” most beautifully. There is also a legend that it reveals the truth.
• Shobuike (菖蒲池): Iris flowers bloom in May, and there is a legend about healing illness.

Shimoyoshida

Shimoyoshida is well known as a scenic photo spot with Mount Fuji in the background. In particular, Arakurayama Sengen Park (新倉山浅間公園) is famous for its view of Mount Fuji, a red five-story pagoda, and cherry blossoms, making it one of the most popular photo spots for travelers.

In addition, the area around Shimoyoshida Station keeps a retro Showa-era atmosphere. Especially Honcho Street (本町通り) has become a popular photo spot because it is a street lined with shops, and the road is laid out so that Mount Fuji appears straight ahead.