Kawaguchiko (Mount Fuji) walking tour & city guide

Walking the lakeshore

From Kawaguchiko Station it is a 10-minute walk down to the lake. The north shore path, especially around Oishi Park and the Momiji Corridor, gives the most famous views of Mount Fuji across the water. Cherry trees line the shore in April, lavender and other flowers bloom in summer, and the maple corridor turns bright red in November.

Small museums, cafés and ryokan with hot-spring baths line the shore. A ropeway climbs Mount Tenjo for a view over the lake to Fuji, and sightseeing boats cruise the water.

Around the Fuji Five Lakes

In nearby Fujiyoshida, the Chureito Pagoda on a wooded hillside, with Fuji behind it, is one of the most photographed scenes in Japan; it is reached by about 400 steps. The old shopping street of Honcho Dori has a clear view of the mountain at its end, and Kitaguchi Hongu Fuji Sengen Shrine stands in a cedar forest at the traditional start of the climbing trail.

Oshino Hakkai, a village of clear spring-fed ponds between Kawaguchiko and Lake Yamanaka, and the quieter lakes of Saiko, Shojiko and Motosuko are easy trips by bus or bike.

Visiting tips

Direct buses from Shinjuku take about 1 hour 45 minutes, and limited express trains also run from Tokyo. Mount Fuji is often hidden by cloud, especially in summer; the clearest views are on winter mornings from November to February. Staying overnight lets you see the mountain at sunrise, before the day-trip crowds arrive.