The Teahouse in the Sky, Misaka Pass

Built in the fall of 1934 near the Misaka Tunnel, Tenka Chaya––literally The Teahouse in the Sky––has long been a favorite local spot for spectacular views of Mount Fuji and Lake Kawaguchiko. Initially called Fujimi Chaya (“the teahouse with a view of Fuji”), it was dubbed Tenka Chaya by a newspaper reporter, and the name stuck.

The two-story wooden teahouse initially catered to travelers who had traversed the Misaka Pass, offering hot meals and rooms for board. It is also noted for having hosted many Japanese literati, most notably twentieth-century authors Masuji Ibuse and Osamu Dazai.

Dazai is widely celebrated in Japan even today, but only a few of his works are available in English. The translations that exist are critically acclaimed, especially the classic No Longer Human (Ningen Shikkaku). Dazai famously spent three months at Tenka Chaya, where he completed the novel 100 Views of Mt. Fuji (Fugaku Hyakkei). This work contains the oft-quoted line “Evening primroses look very well in the landscape of Fuji.”

In honor of Dazai’s stay, the second floor of Tenka Chaya houses the Osamu Dazai Literature Memorial Room, which includes first editions of some of the novelist’s most famous works, as well as the original desk where he wrote the manuscript for 100 Views of Mt. Fuji. There is also a monument to his literature on the promenade near the teahouse.

Tenka Chaya is both an excellent viewing spot for Mt. Fuji and a delightful place to eat or enjoy a pot of tea. Consider trying hoto, a hearty, warming dish of flat udon noodles and vegetables in miso soup; it was purportedly one of Dazai’s favorite foods. The homemade sansho senbei, or mountain pepper-flavored rice crackers, are also worth trying. They are deceptively hard and crunchy but pair very well with hot tea.