The Fuji Five Lakes are found at the northern base of Mount Fuji and are a region of amazing beauty and wilderness. Here you can get some of the best views of Mount Fuji available at any time of year.
A visit to the Fuji Five Lakes offers not just the lakes and various outdoor activities, but an opportunity to enjoy amusement parks, resorts, and some of the unique local culture that has grown around these five marvelous lakes. It’s an incredible trip for visitors of any age and is a must if you are visiting central Japan.
For those seeking to scale Mount Fuji, this area is a great place to set out from. For the slightly less adventurous, be sure to visit the area’s amazing theme park Fuji-Q Highland at the base of the mountain, which features some of the most thrilling roller coasters in the world, including a few record-holders. Families and those looking for more peaceful experiences will find plenty to do as well, from outdoor hikes to water sports to museums.
Because of the distance between the different lakes, some are more accessible than others, especially for public transportation. Every lake offers something unique in its views and the experiences you can find there.
It’s a good idea to take several days to explore the area to get the full experience, though a shorter trip can be just as fun if time is limited. Let’s take a look at the Fuji Five Lakes and what they have to offer!
1. Lake Kawaguchiko
The easiest of the Fuji Five Lakes to get to, Lake Kawaguchiko offers a great experience for those making short or long trips. The lake is in southeastern Yamanashi near the border with Shizuoka. On clear days, the lake offers a mirror-like reflection of Mount Fuji.
Take a cruise around the lake to see some of its best sites in leisurely comfort. Every season offers some beautiful plant life, as cherry trees bloom in spring at the Fuji-Kawaguchiko Cherry Blossom Festival, while summer lavender blooms are celebrated at the Kawaguchiko Herb Festival.
In autumn, you can find the Fuji-Kawaguchiko Autumn Leaves Festival and enjoy the beautiful color changes of the surrounding trees. In winter, you can get some of the best views of Mt. Fuji.
There are many trails to enjoy around Lake Kawaguchiko. You can walk or run them or even rent a bike to ride on some of them! For those who aren’t interested in walking, the ropeway up nearby Mt. Tenjo for a view of the lake and Mt. Fuji from up high.
When you’re ready to relax, you can also enjoy a hot spring bath with lake and mountain views. If you’d like to learn more about the area and its history, take a visit to the traditional Itchiku Kubota Art Museum, the Mt. Fuji-focused Kawaguchiko Art Museum, and the unique cotton dolls of Kawaguchiko Muse Museum.
For the musically minded, be sure to go to Kawaguchiko Music Forest in its European-style garden.
To get here, take a train from JR Shinjuku Station to JR Otsuki Station on the JR Chuo Line, a trip of around an hour. Change to the Fuji Kyuko Line for Kawaguchiko Station.
Note that, for this second trip, the Japan Rail Pass is not accepted. Alternatively, you can also get to Kawaguchiko Station by bus from Shinjuku Expressway Bus Terminal in a little under 2 hours.
2. Lake Yamanakako
This is the largest (13.3m deep) of the Fuji Five Lakes. It is moderately developed, with a few towns at its eastern and western ends as well as a lot of hotels, restaurants, and other attractions in between.
While you can get excellent views of Mt. Fuji all around the lake, you’ll get some of the best along its less-developed north shore.
Be sure to visit the excellent photo spot called Panorama Dai next to a small parking lot halfway up the mountains southeast of the lake, which can be hiked to by traveling about half an hour from “Mikuniyama Hiking Course Iriguchi” bus stop.
Lake Yamanaka is popular for outdoors enthusiasts, especially for water activities such as boating, fishing, water skiing, and windsurfing. There’s plenty to do on the shore, too, including camping and sports like tennis.
In summer, the many sports camps on the lakeshore get crowded with athletes playing and training. To relax, you can enjoy one of the many hot spring baths, which have great views of Mt. Fuji if they are on the western side of the lake.
The best way to Lake Yamanakako for most are the many daily highway buses that connect Shinjuku Station and Tokyo Station with Lake Yamanakako. For getting around, there are many tourist buses to choose from.
3. Lake Saiko
The smaller western neighbor of Lake Kawaguchiko, this lake is a much quieter place to visit. It does not offer as many views of Mt. Fuji as some of the other lakes, but it is a great place to enjoy the great outdoors.
Sakio is the second deepest of the five picturesque lakes around Mount Fuji with a maximum water depth of 71.7 meters.
Its relative tranquillity makes it a popular destination for camping, boating, fishing, and more. There are many trails to hike along the shores and nearby, including some in the infamous forest of Aokigahara.
There are also caves formed by the region’s volcanic activity. Three of these are developed for easy access for tourist visitors: Ice Cave, Wind Cave, and Bat Cave. In early November, the autumn colors around Lake Saiko are spectacular.
For those looking for more casual activities, you can visit the open-air cultural museums of Iyashi no Sato to learn about local history and traditional lifestyles. You can also visit hot spring baths at the Yurari bathhouse.
The best way to get to Lake Saiko is via The Omni Bus Green Line (or Saiko Line) that connects Kawaguchiko Station with Lake Saiko. This bus circles the lake in a clockwise direction. It stops at Iyashi no Sato, at the trailhead to Koyodai, and near the three more accessible caves.
4. Lake Shojiko
This is the smallest of the Fuji Five Lakes with a maximum water depth of 15.2 meters and the most given over to wilderness. It borders the Aokigahara (Jukai) forest.
There is very little development except for a few hotels on its northern shores that offer some amazing views of Mt. Fuji. Hiking, camping, and fishing are very popular at Lake Shojiko. You can also enjoy water skiing, boating, and jet skiing.
You can get to Lake Shojiko by taking one of the regular buses that run every one to two hours from Kawaguchiko Station to Lake Shojiko. These buses are bound for Shin-Fuji, Shimobe Onsen, or Motosuko.
There are more infrequent buses as well on the Omni Bus Blue Line that runs between Kawaguchiko Station, Lake Shojiko, and Lake Motosuko.
5. Lake Motosuko
Part of Fuji-Hakone-Izu National Park, this beautiful lake is featured on the 1000 yen bill, making it among the best known of the Fuji Five Lakes. It is fairly undeveloped, with a few campsites on its shores.
The lake is 121 meters deep (deepest lake of Fujigoko) and one of the clearest lakes on Japan’s main island Honshu.
Visitors can enjoy camping, hiking, fishing, boating, and other water sports on and around the lake. This is a much smaller and less popular lake than the other four, making it perfect for those seeking an outdoor retreat.
Lake Motosuko is accessible via the same buses as Lake Shojiko.
