Fujisan (Mt. Fuji) and Fujigoko (Fuji Five Lakes) Area

Lake Motosuko is the westernmost and deepest of the famous Fuji Five Lakes, and the ninth deepest lake in Japan. Part of Fuji-Hakone-Izu National Park, Motosuko is popular for a range of activities including windsurfing, canoeing, and yachting.

Mount Mitsutoge is the collective name for a group of three mountains bordering the municipalities of Tsuru, Nishikatsura, and Fujikawaguchiko. Mitsutoge offers spectacular views of Mt. Fuji from its summit, while the cliffs of Byobuiwa just below the summit are popular with rock climbing enthusiasts.

Lake Yamanakako is the largest of the Fuji Five Lakes and has the third-highest elevation of any lake in Japan. It is also the closest of the five to Mount Fuji and offers spectacular views of the iconic peak.

This museum is dedicated to Soho Tokutomi, a prominent journalist and historian active from the late nineteenth to the mid-twentieth century. It offers a comprehensive, overarching look at his life and accomplishments, displaying around 200 items.

The Mishima Yukio Literary Museum celebrates one of Japan's most internationally renowned authors. It pays homage to Yukio Mishima’s life and works of literature, displaying a wide range of items including first edition prints of his books, autographed manuscripts, letters, and annotated first drafts.

The Narusawa area’s roadside rest and shopping hub offers the visitor splendid views of Mount Fuji and much more. The shop in the main building sells freshly harvested local highland fruits and vegetables, as well as locally brewed sake and ready-to-eat condiments.

The village of Narusawa is home to many lava tree molds, hollow lava formations formed around large tree trunks, which were formed in the great eruption of Mt. Fuji in the year 864.

Lake Saiko is the second smallest of the Fuji Five Lakes, though it is the second deepest with a maximum water depth of 71.7 meters. It is unusual compared to the other lakes in that it is surrounded by steep, wooded slopes on all sides.

Kawaguchi Asama Shrine is one of approximately 1,300 Asama shrines in Japan that enshrine the deity of volcanoes in general and Mount Fuji in particular. The shrine is part of the Mt. Fuji UNESCO World Cultural Heritage site.

Kitaguchi Hongu Fuji Sengen Shrine is located amidst a dense old-growth forest, which denotes ties to the spirit world. The long, atmospheric approach to the main shrine is lined with mossy stone lanterns and shaded by tall cedar trees.

Sakana Park in Oshino was established in 2001 as a theme park celebrating forests and water: a nod to its rich natural surroundings and the clear spring waters originating from Mount Fuji. A stroll through the green space takes you past streams and fountains using groundwater from the sacred peak.

Shiki no Mori consists of two museums housed in a single building: one centers around the photographic works of Koyo Okada, who dedicated his life to photographing Mount Fuji, while the other features a collection of etegami (“picture letters”) by Kunio Koike.

As its name implies, this lookout point offers sweeping, panoramic views of Mount Fuji and Lake Yamanakako from an elevation of 1,090 meters. The views from Panorama-dai at sunrise and sunset are remarkable year-round.

Viewing Mount Fuji on its own is splendid enough, but it is in relation to the surrounding mountains that one can begin to comprehend the sheer scale and size of Japan’s most iconic mountain. This observation deck offers that opportunity.

By far the most visited of the Fuji Five Lakes, Lake Kawaguchiko serves as the main point of entry to this famous lake region. The area surrounding Lake Kawaguchiko is well-developed in terms of tourist infrastructure, with many lakeside hotels, hot springs, windsurfing facilities, campsites, and excursion boats.

Lake Shojiko is the smallest of the Fuji Five Lakes and was once dubbed the “Switzerland of East Asia” by visiting Englishmen for its uniquely beautiful views of Mount Fuji. The surrounding area is less developed than the other lakes in terms of tourist infrastructure, which gives it a tranquil and relatively untouched feel.

All throughout Aokigahara Forest are underground caves formed by lava from the massive eruption of Mount Fuji in 864 CE. One of these is the Fugaku Wind Cave, which has an average internal temperature of 3°C and was historically used as a natural refrigerator.

Nishiura is a nightlife district – a maze of alleyways crammed with dozens of tiny  bars, featuring architecture that’s remained largely unchanged since several decades ago, and bathed in the warm glow of lanterns and vintage street lights.

The Fujiyoshida area’s roadside rest and shopping area offers the visitor splendid views of Mount Fuji. The shop in the main building sells freshly harvested local highland fruits and vegetables, as well as locally brewed sake, ready-to-eat condiments, and souvenirs.

Aokigahara is a dense, primeval forest of mixed coniferous and broadleaf trees stretching across 30 square kilometers. The forest floor consists of volcanic rock, which is hardened lava that flowed from Mount Fuji when the volcano had a major eruption in the year 864.

Mother’s White Waterfall is part of a small Shinto shrine of the same name located right next to the waters. For centuries, worshipers seeking to climb Mt. Fuji have purified themselves at this waterfall and prayed for safe journeys.

Oshino Hakkai, or the Eight Seas of Oshino, are a set of eight ponds located in the Fuji Five Lakes area, on the site of a former sixth lake that dried out several centuries ago. The eight ponds are fed by snowmelt from the slopes of Mount Fuji that filters down the mountain through porous layers of volcanic rock.

This sprawling 300,000-square-meter flower field transforms into a veritable sea of color between spring and autumn, backgrounded by Fuji in the distance. Depending on the month and season, visitors can enjoy an astonishing variety of flowers.

The Narusawa Ice Cave was formed around 1,150 years ago. Inside, some of the tunnel sections have a ceiling just 90 centimeters high, forcing visitors to crouch or crawl through. The cave is covered in ice all year, and the temperature inside averages about 3°C.

The Teahouse in the Sky has long been a favorite local spot for spectacular views of Mount Fuji and Lake Kawaguchiko. It is noted for having hosted many Japanese literati, most notably twentieth-century authors Masuji Ibuse and Osamu Dazai.