[Complete Mt. Fuji Travel Guide] Discover the Appeal of Japan’s Icon and the Best Ways to Enjoy It!

Arakurayama Sengen Park is famous for its beautiful view of majestic Mt. Fuji and the five-story Chureito Pagoda.
About 650 cherry trees are planted in the park, and in spring you can enjoy a quintessentially Japanese view of Mt. Fuji, the pagoda, and cherry blossoms together.
This scenery has appeared in many guidebooks introducing Japan and has become a very popular spot.
To see the view, you need to climb the 398-step “Sakuya-hime Stairway” that leads from Arakura Fuji Sengen Shrine to the pagoda, so comfortable walking shoes are recommended.

Oshino Hakkai is the collective name for eight spring-fed ponds sourced by Mt. Fuji: Deguchi Pond, Okama Pond, Sokonuki Pond, Choshi Pond, Waku Pond, Nigoru Pond, Kagami Pond, and Shobu Pond. It was once a lake, but dried up and became eight spring ponds.
The melted snow from Mt. Fuji is filtered for Approx. 20 years through underground lava layers, giving the water exceptional clarity.
The beautiful natural scenery created by Mt. Fuji and the ponds has made this area very popular.

Located Approx. 4 km from Lake Motosu, said to offer the most beautiful view of Mt. Fuji among the Fuji Five Lakes at the mountain’s base, Fuji Motosuko Resort captivates visitors with a picture-like landscape of seasonal flowers, the lake, and World Heritage-listed Mt. Fuji in the distance.
Within the grounds, you will also find Peter Rabbit™ English Garden, one of the largest British-style gardens in the Kanto region, complete with a café, museum, and shop. It offers a chance to experience the world of The Tale of Peter Rabbit.

Located on the shore of Lake Kawaguchi in the Oishi area of Yamanashi Prefecture, this scenic spot offers a sweeping view of Mt. Fuji across the lake.
Many tourists visit the park to enjoy its photogenic scenery.
It is also famous as a flower spot, with a promenade in the park known as the “Flower Road.”
You can enjoy beautiful collaborations of Mt. Fuji with seasonal flowers such as tulips and rapeseed blossoms blooming from late April, kochia from August to around September, and sage and asters from October onward.

Opened in 2015, this pedestrian suspension bridge stretches 400 meters in length, making it the longest in Japan.
It spans the western foothills of Hakone at an elevation of Approx. 415 meters, with a drop of 70 meters. From the bridge, you can view Japan’s tallest mountain, Mt. Fuji, and Japan’s deepest bay, Suruga Bay, and it is popular for letting visitors experience three “number ones” in Japan at once.
On clear days, you can also see the mountains of the Izu Peninsula and as far as the cityscapes of Mishima and Numazu, offering truly spectacular views.

As explained, Mt. Fuji has four climbing routes.
Please use the table below, which lists round-trip times and difficulty levels, to choose the route that suits you best.
These times do not include breaks, so expect the actual trip to take longer.

One characteristic of Mt. Fuji is its cool climate, even in summer during climbing season.
Temperatures around the 5th Station are around 59°F, while near the summit they drop to around 43°F, and before sunrise they fall below 32°F, so please be careful about temperature differences.
Thunderstorms and rain are also common, and the mountain is affected by strong winds, so checking the weather forecast is essential.
For clothing, it is recommended to wear layers made of quick-drying materials such as wool or synthetic fibers, with a warm outer layer such as a jacket.
For shoes, choose trekking shoes or hiking boots with thick soles.
Essential items include rain gear, a headlamp, a map, water (at least 2 liters), light snacks such as nuts and chocolate, and coins.
It is also reassuring to bring sunscreen and a first-aid kit.
In addition, the mountain huts set along each route can be used for resting, meals, short naps, and emergency shelter, so make good use of them.

To protect sacred and beautiful Mt. Fuji and ensure a safe and comfortable climbing experience, entry management and traffic restrictions began in 2024.
If you do not understand these rules and complete the necessary registration and preparation in advance, you may not be able to climb even if you make the trip to Mt. Fuji, so please be careful.
Both the Shizuoka side (Fujinomiya Route, Subashiri Route, and Gotemba Route) and the Yamanashi side (Yoshida Route) have the following rules.

Please note that there are also differences between the Shizuoka and Yamanashi sides, including how advance registration and passage reservations are handled, so for details, please refer to the article below.

The Izumigataki Course takes around 1 hour 30 minutes round trip, and because it is relatively well maintained, it feels more like a nature walk than a trekking course.
It is a course that a wide range of visitors, from families to couples, can enjoy.
Its appeal lies in the clear, open views of Lake Yamanaka and the mountain ranges stretching in the distance.

The Yoshidaguchi Course takes Approx. 6 hours on foot from Yoshidaguchi 5th Station.
Along the way, you will find many historical features, including Fuji Omuro Sengen Shrine, monuments, and old historic remains.
It is the longest of the five courses at Approx. 10 km, so it is recommended for experienced hikers confident in their stamina.

The Ochudo Course is a hiking trail between elevations of 2,300 and 2,400 meters that takes around 2 hours, and it was once a “path of faith” permitted only to those who had climbed Mt. Fuji at least three times.
Its appeal lies in its rich nature, including lava tree mold caves and the remains of side volcano craters, offering a different way to enjoy Mt. Fuji from a summit climb.
Among the five courses, it is of intermediate difficulty, so it is recommended for those who are becoming accustomed to mountain walking.

A defining feature of the Shoji Course is that it takes 5 hours round trip, walking steadily through a rugged forest with many ups and downs.
You can see precious forests designated as special mother tree forests and academic reference forests, and if you are lucky, you may even encounter a wild Japanese serow.
Surrounded by rich nature, you can enjoy a quiet and relaxing hike.

The Okuniwa Loop Course takes nearly 2 hours round trip through forested areas and lets you enjoy old trees and various plants.
The dignified view of Mt. Fuji from here is especially appealing.
It is the shortest of the five courses, so it is recommended for those who want to try hiking casually.

Fuji-Q Highland is an amusement park featuring everything from world-class thrill rides to character-themed attractions.
It offers many exciting rides, including FUJIYAMA, known as the “King of Coasters” with a top speed of 130 km/h, and Eejanaika, an intense coaster boasting a total of 14 rotations.
It is also popular for other kinds of thrills, including the haunted house Senritsu Meikyu, the longest in Japan at 900 meters, where many people give up halfway through.

Aokigahara Forest spreads across the foothills of Mt. Fuji.
Narusawa Ice Cave is located at its eastern entrance and attracts many visitors throughout the year as one of the sightseeing spots of the Fuji Five Lakes area.
It is a lava cave, 153 meters in length, formed after lava flowed out during the 864 eruption of Nagao-yama, a side volcano of Mt. Fuji.
The inside temperature averages 3°C, and because it remains covered in ice year-round, it came to be known by this name.
Its highlight is the icicles formed when water droplets seeping from the ceiling freeze.

Lake Yamanaka covers Approx. 6.57 square kilometers and sits at an elevation of Approx. 980.5 meters above sea level.
It is the third-highest lake in Japan. It is the closest of the Fuji Five Lakes to Mt. Fuji, and offers beautiful seasonal scenery created by the majestic mountain and the lake together.
Flowers such as tulips bloom in spring, sunflowers in summer, and cosmos in fall, while autumn foliage and Mt. Fuji covered beautifully in snow can also be enjoyed in winter, making it a destination you can enjoy year-round.

One of the component assets of the World Heritage site Mt. Fuji, this shrine has a history of over 1,900 years.
It is said to have originated when Yamato Takeru designated it as a place to worship Mt. Fuji from afar, and it also serves as the starting point of the Yoshidaguchi climbing trail.
As you proceed along the solemn approach lined with cedar trees and stone lanterns, you will arrive at the giant wooden torii known as the Fujiyama Otorii, one of the largest in Japan.
Beside the worship hall stand the sacred trees Fuji Taro Cedar and Meoto Hinoki, both Approx. over 1,000 years old, whose powerful presence lets you feel the grandeur of nature.

A music-themed museum located on the shore of Lake Kawaguchi. The grounds are charming for their beautiful, almost European scenery, made even more unique by the view of Mt. Fuji in the background.
There are five main ways to enjoy this museum. The first is to enjoy music across the ages. In addition to many rare automatic musical instruments, from one that was scheduled to be installed on the Titanic to large music boxes, you can also enjoy powerful automated performances by one of the world’s largest dance organs.

A nationally designated scenic spot and natural monument located in Fujinomiya City, Shizuoka Prefecture, at the foot of Mt. Fuji.
It is also registered as part of the World Cultural Heritage site “Fujisan, sacred place and source of artistic inspiration.”
From a curved cliff 20 meters high and 150 meters wide, hundreds of waterfalls of various sizes cascade down like white silk threads. This water is spring water from Mt. Fuji, with a volume of as much as 1.5 tons per second. It is the largest waterfall in the Mt. Fuji foothills.
If you go down the long staircase past the viewing area, you can reach the basin of the falls. Seen up close, the waterfall is very dynamic and mysterious.

One of Japan’s largest safari parks, located at the foot of Mt. Fuji at an elevation of 850 meters. In the park, you can see lions, cheetahs, leopards, elephants, and bears living in a natural environment.
There are two main tour options.
On the safari tour, you can enjoy a driving course of Approx. 50 to 60 minutes using your own car, a “Navigation Car” equipped with a tablet terminal, a “Jungle Bus” with wire mesh instead of glass windows, or a “Super Jungle Bus” with wire mesh extending to the roof.
Among these, the buses are especially popular for the thrilling close-up views of bears, lions, and more, including their faces, tongues, and paw pads.

A shrine long worshipped in Atami as a deity of good fortune and auspicious blessings. Within the grounds stands a giant camphor tree, a sacred tree designated as a natural monument, making this one of Japan’s leading power spots.
This vibrant camphor tree, said to be 2,100 years old, is also believed to extend your life by one year if you walk around its trunk once.
There is also a legend that if you walk around the trunk once while making a wish in your heart, that wish will come true, and many worshippers visit seeking blessings such as good health, long life, and wishes fulfilled.

The head shrine of more than 1,300 Sengen shrines throughout Japan, dedicated to Konohanasakuya-hime-no-Mikoto, the principal deity of Mt. Fuji.
Its origins trace back to 27 BCE, and the shrine was built on its current site in 806.
It is also famous as a cherry blossom spot, and more than 500 cherry trees bloom in the shrine grounds at Sakura no Baba. One highlight not to miss is Shingenzakura, a second-generation weeping cherry tree said to descend from one personally planted by the warlord Takeda Shingen.

One of the largest outlet malls in Japan, opened in 2000. It is easily accessible from famous sightseeing destinations such as Hakone, Izu, and Mt. Fuji, and is popular as a convenient place to stop by during a trip.
The outlet complex, designed to evoke a North American townscape, is enormous. It is divided into three areas, the East Zone, the West Zone, and Hillside, which opened in 2020, and is home to Approx. 290 stores.
In addition to high-end brands such as Burberry and Armani, and sports brands such as Nike and Adidas, there is also a wide selection of restaurants.
There are also many brands making their first appearance in Japan, so you can enjoy yourself all day without getting bored.