10 Best Mt Fuji Viewpoints in Mt Fuji, Japan
If you’re looking for prime views of Mt Fuji in the Five Lakes area, we’ve got you covered.
We’ve spent a lot of time here and have visited pretty much every viewpoint. So whether you’re looking to escape the crowds, find free viewpoints, or ones that don’t require walking uphill, you’ll find them in this blog! We’ve also got tips on the best times to go, and how to get there, so basically, this is your one-stop shop for Mount Fuji views.
Mount Fuji is visible from towns that are further afield like Hakone, but to keep things simple, we’re focusing on the Five Lakes region in this blog – which has the best views anyway!
1. Fujiyama Twin Terrace
- Location: Shindo Pass, Fuefuki
- Cost to visit: 5,000 JPY
- Difficulty to get to: Hard
- Crowded: No
- Best time to visit: April – November; get the earliest bus of the day
- Requires walking uphill: No (except in winter)
Our top choice of Mount Fuji viewpoints has to be the Fujiyama Twin Terrace! It’s not as well known as some of the other viewpoints on this list but in my mind, that makes it even better. Couple that with the unobstructed panoramic views of Mount Fuji, and I think you’ll find that this observation deck is hard to beat.
There are also swings up here which frame Mount Fuji perfectly. You’ll need to pay 500 JPY ($3.50 USD) to sit on these, but I think it’s worth it for the photo opportunity.
The only downside is that the terraces are difficult to get to. The observation deck sits on the Shindo Pass, and cars aren’t permitted up here. It’s not advisable to hike, either, as there are lots of bears in the area. Fortunately, we found a way around this by booking this shuttle bus.
We paid $35 USD each for the bus, which included our tickets to the observation deck. We were picked up in Fujikawaguchiko and it took about 25 minutes to get to the first stop, which was a tourist base. Then, we drove another 10 minutes to the top.
The only thing to note is that during the winter, the bus doesn’t go all the way to the top, so you’ll need to bring crampons and hike for about an hour. Luckily, the bears will be hibernating!
We spent about half an hour at the deck before getting the bus back down. This was enough time to enjoy the magnificent views and grab some of the amazing strawberry sandwiches from the cafe. Honestly, it was so worth the time and money to be able to enjoy these views without huge swarms of people.
Easily book the shuttle bus we recommend to this viewpoint here!
2. Oshino Hakkai
- Location: Oshino
- Cost to visit: Free
- Difficulty to get to: Easy
- Crowded: Yes
- Best time to visit: Spring
- Requires walking uphill: No
We loved our visit to Oshino Hakkai! It was busy, but not overwhelmingly so, and we loved seeing Mount Fuji reflected in the gorgeous natural springs.
Basically, Oshino Hakkai is a natural spring village and World Heritage site, with lots of traditional thatched roof homes and a small museum dedicated to Japanese agriculture. The springs are fed by snowmelt from Mount Fuji, which towers over this charming rural settlement.
Oshino Hakkai is not as quiet as other viewpoints, but we liked the atmosphere here. We had a really good time wandering around and grabbing food and coffee from the many vendors. I recommend trying kusamochi, which are green Japanese rice cakes made with mugwort.
You can also buy fish food here and feed the fish that live in the springs. We enjoyed visiting the museum, too, as we saw lots of farming tools and even Samurai swords, and it only cost 300 JPY ($2 USD) to get in.
We drove here, which is probably the easiest option. However, you can also get to Fujikyuko line train to Fujisan. From there, get the bus towards Kawaguchiko Station and get off at Oshino Hakkai Iriguchi. This takes about 25 minutes and the bus stop is just a short walk from the village entrance.
3. Chureito Pagoda
- Location: Arakurayama Sengen Park
- Cost to visit: Free
- Difficulty to get to: Easy
- Crowded: Yes
- Best time to visit: Morning
- Requires walking uphill: Yes – lots of steps
The Chureito Pagoda is probably the most famous viewpoint in the Mount Fuji area! It’s a 5-storey pagoda on top of a hill, so the views from here are really wonderful.
The pagoda itself is also fantastic to photograph, especially during cherry blossom seasons and when the leaves change color in the fall. But of course, that’s also when it receives the most visitors.
Speaking of that, this place gets BUSY. The most popular times to visit are sunrise and sunset, but even if you avoid those times of day it will still be crowded. It’s also not the most accessible viewpoint, given that it involves 397 steps!
Now, the pagoda is still worth visiting if you don’t mind the steps. It’s popular for a good reason. However, don’t bother on a cloudy day, because you won’t see Mount Fuji and so contending with those steps and crowds will be for nothing.
We drove here and parked for free at Arakurayama Sengen Park, but you can also take the train to Shimoyoshida train station, which is 20 minutes from the base on foot. It’s on the Fujikyuko Line.
Related Read: To see a view of these viewpoints and other fun activities, check out our full guide to the Mt Fuji area!
4. THE PARK
- Location: Lake Yamanaka
- Cost to visit: Pancakes from 1,180 JPY ($8 USD)
- Difficulty to get to: Easy
- Crowded: Yes
- Best time to visit: 9:40 am; year round
- Requires walking uphill: No
While some viewpoints require lots of walking, at THE PARK all you need to do is sit back and enjoy some fluffy Japanese pancakes.
Yes, really!
This restaurant is perched on the edge of Lake Yamanaka, which is also sometimes referred to as Lake Yamanakako. It sits directly across the water from Mount Fuji, so the views are spectacular.
And as if that weren’t enough, they serve the most amazing souffle-style pancakes, with tons of yummy toppings. They’re so much better than western pancakes!
The restaurant is open from 10 am until 3 pm on weekdays, or 3:30 pm on weekends, and there’s always a queue out front. To avoid a long wait, we would recommend arriving at about 9:40 am, in time for the first seating of the day. We just missed this and had to wait for about 40 minutes. Or if you can’t come early, there’s a sheet of paper you can write your name down on and come back later.
We drove to the lake and there was this free parking lot just 2 minutes’ walk from the restaurant. Alternatively, take the train to Kawaguchiko Station, which is on the Fujikyuko Line, and then you can get a bus to the western end of the lake and walk for about 20 minutes to the restaurant.
5. Lake Yamanaka
- Location: Yamanakako
- Cost to visit: Free
- Difficulty to get to: Easy
- Crowded: No
- Best time to visit: Spring or fall
- Requires walking uphill: No
Lake Yamanaka is the same lake that THE PARK pancake café is on! So after you’ve had your fill of souffle pancakes (or while you’re waiting to be seated) you can take a wander along the lakefront and enjoy amazing views of Mount Fuji. In fact, on a calm day, you’ll even see its reflection in the water!
One thing we like about Lake Yamanaka is that we found it to be much quieter than some of the other lakes in the area, such as Lake Kawaguchi. It’s not exactly off the beaten path, but it doesn’t get overwhelmingly busy.
It would take just under 3 hours to walk the entire Lake Yamanaka Loop, but you can just do a portion of it. However, what we would also recommend doing is walking or driving to the Panorama Dai viewpoint. There’s a small parking lot here or you can walk from the Hirano Lakeshore area in about 40 minutes – don’t worry, it’s a gentle incline. On a clear day, you’ll get fantastic views of the lake and Mount Fuji!
There’s tons of free parking around the lake or buses from Kawaguchiko Station serve the western and southern ends. And if you want to get out on the water, you can always check out the amphibious bus.
6. Hikawa Clock Shop
- Location: Shimoyoshida
- Cost to visit: Free
- Difficulty to get to: Easy
- Crowded: Yes
- Best time to visit: Morning
- Requires walking uphill: No
We loved the views of Mount Fuji from outside the Hiwaka Clock Shop! The iconic volcano rises majestically above this cute street, which means that you can snap amazing photos here. And the clock shop offers the best vantage point of all!
This spot has become really popular, and tourists were just standing in the road to get photos, which obviously isn’t the safest, so now crossing guards patrol the area. However, we still got great photos by waiting for the pedestrian crossing to go green and then snapping away.
The clock shop is really easy to get to, as it’s in the middle of Shimoyoshida. There’s plenty of parking around, including a parking lot along the street, or another one just a 5-minute walk away. Or if you’re traveling by train, Shimoyoshida Station is along the Fujikyuko Line, and is a 10-minute walk from the clock shop.
7. Oishi Park
- Location: Lake Kawaguchi
- Cost to visit: Free
- Difficulty to get to: Easy
- Crowded: During summer
- Best time to visit: Spring or fall
- Requires walking uphill: No
If you’re the kind of person who enjoys strolling through botanical gardens, you’ll love Oishi Park. It’s known for its colorful flowerscapes, including a pink carpet of moss phlox in spring, and bright red kochia plants in fall. Oh, yes, and the gorgeous views of Mount Fuji across Lake Kawaguchi – how could we forget?
In June and July, lavender fields bloom in the park, which is undeniably beautiful, but also super busy. This is especially true in July, when Japanese and global school holidays cause a big boom in the number of visitors!
We visited Oishi Park during winter, so it was pretty quiet. This meant that we didn’t get to experience the vivid colors but honestly, the gardens still looked really cute. There were still lots of shops open, and we recommend grabbing a lavender soft-serve ice cream at the Oishi Park Cafe. The Lake Bake Cafe also has a nice outdoor deck with great views of Mount Fuji.
In terms of getting here, there’s a free parking lot or you can catch the red line sightseeing bus from Kawaguchiko Station to Oishi Park. This bus also stops outside the Mount Fuji Panoramic Ropeway en route.
8. Kawaguchi Asama Shrine
- Location: Fujikawaguchiko
- Cost to visit: Free
- Difficulty to get to: Easy
- Crowded: No
- Best time to visit: Morning
- Requires walking uphill: Yes
Okay, so the Kawaguchi Asama Shrine itself doesn’t actually have the best view of Mount Fuji. So instead, we parked here at the lesser-known Tenku No Torii shrine nearby. However, you can also walk between the two shrines in about 30 minutes if you’re up for a bit of a forest hike.
Tenku No Torii is known as the “torii gate in the sky” because it’s perched on the site of a mountain. If you stand in the right place, the gate frames Mount Fuji perfectly, which took my breath away when we visited. It’s especially lovely in the morning light, and if you’re hiking here during the summer, then morning is also the best time to beat the heat. However, we visited in winter, and so we drove here.
Best of all, this shrine is also quiet, because it’s a bit remote unless you have a rental car, and big tours don’t tend to come here. Well, not yet, anyway, so we recommend visiting before that changes!
9. Shiraito Falls
- Location: Kamiide
- Cost to visit: Free
- Difficulty to get to: Medium
- Crowded: During summer holidays
- Best time to visit: Summer and fall
- Requires walking uphill: Yes
Shiraito Falls is roughly a 50-minute drive from the Five Lakes area, but it’s definitely worth it. For one thing, these are the widest (and arguably most beautiful) waterfalls in Japan.
“Shiraito” actually means “white thread” and this name was easy to understand once we saw the thin white streams of water cascading down the cliffside. These falls are actually tucked into the southwestern foothills of Mount Fuji, and the water is fed by the volcano’s natural springs. Pretty cool, right?
Although it’s a little remote, it’s definitely worth the drive from the more touristy areas. And once you get here, you can just park up and walk down to the waterfall viewing platform, which only takes a few minutes. Plus, we stopped at Otodome Falls on the way down, which is a powerful 25-meter (82 ft) waterfall in the forest.
However, from the parking lot there are also signs directing you to a higher viewpoint above the falls. From here, we could see Mt Fuji emerging from behind the falls, although you do need a clear day for this! It’s not the same completely unobstructed view you get at some viewpoints, but we loved seeing the volcano from a different perspective, with the beautiful waterfalls and forest scenery below.
Related Read: If you’re off to Hakone next, we’ve got a list of our 20 favorite things in Hakone that will be helpful!
10. La Vista Fujikawaguchiko Hotel
- Location: Fujikawaguchiko
- Cost to visit: From 50,200 JPY per night
- Difficulty to get to: Easy
- Crowded: No
- Best time to visit: Year-round
- Requires walking uphill: No
This one’s a little different from the others, because you can actually stay overnight! La Vista Fujikawaguchiko is a luxury hotel that offers rooms with fantastic views of Mount Fuji. In fact, there are even rooms with private hot tubs on the balcony looking out at the volcano, so you can soak in style!
Alternatively, if you’d like to snag a slightly cheaper room, the hotel restaurant and the hotel onsens still offer prime views.
For us, staying at a hotel with a view of Mt Fuji is a must when in the area. And La Vista Fujikawaguchiko is one of the top-rated properties around. It’s also ideal for those who aren’t renting a car, because the hotel offers a free shuttle service.
Prices for rooms with a view of Mt Fuji start from $350 USD per night for a double room, although triple and quadruple rooms are also available, which is ideal for families. Be sure to check online here for the best rates and reserve your room ahead of time, as this hotel is popular and prices tend to go up closer to the date of your stay.
Where to Stay near Mount Fuji
While it’s possible to visit the Mount Fuji area from Tokyo, we highly recommend spending a couple days here to tackle some of the things on our list and have more time to soak up the views!
After staying here ourselves, our top tip is to stay around Lake Kawaguchiko – specifically the north side if you can as that has the best views. All of the hotels below are on the side of the lake we like and fit all budgets!
La Vista Fujikawaguchiko – $$$
We already mentioned this hotel earlier, but La Vista Fujikawaguchiko is worth a second look. I mean having a view of Mt Fuji from your own private balcony hot tub sounds pretty VIP to me! If that’s not enough, there are public and private onsens to relax in. You can choose to make this more of an all-inclusive stay and include both a yummy breakfast and dinner in the room rate.
Rooms here start around $350 USD and a bit more if you decide to include meals. Definitely opt for the rooms with the Mt Fuji view! Check availability and book online here.
Fujikawaguchiko Cresendo – $$ (Where we stayed!)
We stayed at Fujikawaguchiko Cresendo and highly recommend it. It’s on the north side of the lake, which has the better views and we could even see Mt Fuji right from our room! There’s private onsens, a hot tub, and a sauna and the owner is so nice and played live music for us in the evenings.
It’s also a mid-range hotel that’s still affordable for the more “premium” side of the lake. We booked rooms for $104 USD a night, which felt like a steal with other nearby properties costing $300-$500 a night. It can book up because it’s more budget-friendly, so reserve a room in advance here!
Orange Cabin Inn – $
If you’re traveling on a budget, then the Orange Cabin Inn is a good pick. With Mt Fuji visible from all the front windows, you can watch the sunrise over Mt Fuji from here! It’s clean and cozy and feels a bit more like a hostel with shared common areas and shared bathrooms, but there’s plenty of space and it’s popular with both single travlers and families.
The best part – it’s only $31 USD/night per person! There are also bike rentals on site and free parking. If you’re taking the train, it’s a 10-minute drive from Kawaguchiko Station, so you’ll need a taxi. Book the Orange Cabin Inn here!
Thanks for reading!
Mt Fuji is an iconic sight in Japan and there are so many great places to see it! Hopefully, you have a few new ideas from our list and get a clear day to enjoy some of Mount Fuji’s best viewpoints. And make sure you grab some of those fluffy pancakes from THE PARK – that’s where you’ll find me the next time we’re here!
For more travel inspiration and tips for your trip to Japan, check out all our blogs here. We’ll share everything we’ve learned on our trips to Japan to help you have the best time!
30 Best Things to do in Sapporo
