Photo by Susann Schuster on Unsplash
Considered one of Japan’s 3 sacred mountains, Mount Fuji or Fuji-san is Japan’s highest mountain and arguably one of its most iconic sites. There are a few places in Japan that you can view this majestic mountain from. Amongst these, Lake Kawaguchi is one of the more popular destinations. This post provides a guide to visiting Lake Kawaguchi and also includes the 10 best things to do in the area.
Table of Contents
Note: This post contains affiliate links. When you make a purchase using one of these affiliate links, I get paid a small commission at no extra cost to you
Guide to Visiting Lake Kawaguchi
Notes on this Things to Do in Lake Kawaguchi Guide
Transparently, we did not get to do more than half the things listed on this 10 things to do in Lake Kawaguchi guide due to bad weather. It was raining, cold and we had no visibility whatsoever. It was disappointing but we made the best of it. However, I did not want all our good research to go to waste and therefore wanted to share all the things we had planned to do at Lake Kawaguchi in this guide.
Although we did not see Fuji-san at Kawaguchi, we were still fortunate to see this majestic mountain from the train going from Osaka to Tokyo.
Day Trip or Overnight Stay?
It really depends! I opted for an overnight stay because Mount Fuji is not always visible and I wanted to give us another day (2nd day morning) to see Mount Fuji in case we had no visibility on day 1. Unfortunately we had a very bad weather spell and didn’t see Fuji on day 1 or 2.
I love small towns and really enjoyed Lake Kawaguchi. It reminded me of the Slovenian/Austrian/German country-side. In my opinion, it is worth it to visit Kawaguchi and stay overnight. Especially if your overall Japan itinerary is mostly big cities. Kawaguchi offers not only a glimpse into small town Japan but also an escape from the big cities to a more relaxing environment.
How to Get to Lake Kawaguchi
If you are coming from Tokyo, take a train from JR Shinjuku Station to JR Otsuki Station on the JR Chuo Line. This takes about an hour. From the Otsuki Station, you will have to change to the Fuji Kyuko Line for Kawaguchiko Station.
You can also get to Kawaguchiko Station by bus from Shinjuku, Shibuya or Tokyo stations.
Another option is to drive. It is a 1.5 hour ride from Tokyo and not a difficult one as soon as you get out of the city.
If you don’t want to deal with transportation and getting from place A to place B, then check out these tours below! These are ideal for one day trips without an overnight stay.
Getting Around Lake Kawaguchi
Tour
If you opt for a tour, then of course you will have to follow the agenda and schedule that has been set forth for you unless you book a private tour that will let you adjust the schedule a bit but I would not count on being able to see most things on this things to do in Kawaguchi list.
Public Transport
If you come by public transport, you will have to use taxis to get to places and again probably won’t be able to do much when you factor in time it takes on the train/bus for the round trip, walking around Kawaguchi and waiting for taxis.
Car Rental
If you really want to explore Kawaguchi and do all the things listed below, then I recommend driving. I booked via booking.com and the price wasn’t bad at all!
Where to Stay
We stayed at the Kawaguchiko Country Cottage Ban Glamping Resort and it was stunning. On a good day, you can see Fuji-san from the hotel. Our cabin was spacious (by any and all Japanese standards) and so cozy. If you don’t have a vehicle, they offer a shuttle bus to and from the station. Check them out HERE.
Where to Eat
Ramen Kaneyuki
This is the number 1 spot to eat at Lake Kawaguchi. They operate out of a food truck and have a small sitting area inside a make shift tent. It’s cash only so don’t forget to take some with you.
Hoto Tempura Wakana
Hoto noodles are a local specialty and this restaurant serves it. Come early and take a number to be seated.
Tetsuyaki
Another highly rated eatery serving hearty Japanese cuisine.
Shaw’s Sushi Bar & Dining
If you are craving sushi, then head over to Shaw’s. It was a little pricey and ok in my opinion but fulfilled our sushi craving.
Other Tips
Check out this live webcam of Lake Kawaguchi to see visibility of Fuji. You can adjust your plans based on what you see. This page, lists out all the live cams of Fuji from different viewpoints from villages around it. You may have to ask Google to translate it. If you are driving, you maybe able to go to a location where Fuji is more visible.
Here are my best Japan tips. While geared for first time visitors, there’s a lot that is covered.
Things to Do in Lake Kawaguchi
1. Arakura Fuji Sengen Shrine and Chureito Pagoda
Number 1 on this Things to do in Lake Kawaguchi is to see Fuji-san from the top of Arakura Fuji Sengen Shrine. When you type in Mount Fuji, you would have definitely seen a picture of the snow capped mountain with a red pagoda in the foreground. This is the Chuerito Pagoda. It’s a bit of a climb to get to the top but nothing too crazy. You can either take the stairs or take a winding path with no stairs. Both lead to the same place. This shrine is especially popular during Cherry Blossom Season. This entire area is full of cherry blossom and makes for a stunning backdrop.
2. View Fuji-san from Hocho Street
This street is famous for its views of Fuji-san. The juxtapose between nature and man-made is very evident here with the electric cables and sign posts that clutter the streets against the snow capped Fuji-san in the backdrop.
3. Kawaguchi Sengen Shrine
This very small 9th-century shrine is dedicated to the goddess of Mount Fuji. It’s famous for its giant cedar trees. A quiet respite from the crowds of the Arakura Fuji Sengen Shrine.
4. Haha-no-Shirataki Waterfall
You can easily view this waterfall from a short distance from the road. It is about a 8 minute drive from the Kawaguchi Sengen Shrine.
5. Visit a Park or Two
Both Oishi Park and Nagasaki Park are great for views of Fuji-san on a clear day. If the views are not clear, you can still enjoy the parks buy walking around or having a picnic.
6. Drive Around the Kawaguchi Lake
If you drove to Kawaguchi, take a scenic drive around the lake. There are lots of spots that you can get down and take the views in.
7. Take a Boat Ride
You can take a short boar ride (20 minutes around trip) on Lake Kawaguchi. The final sail for the day ends at 4 pm or 4:30 pm depending on the season. See HERE for more details on the location, cost and opening hours.
8. Panoramic Ropeway Cable Car
You can take a cable car to a panoramic view point to see Fuji-san. The viewing point boasts of being able to see Mt. Fuji and Lake Kawaguchi with a 360-degree panorama. See HERE for tickets and opening hours.
9. Sake Tasting
This is a great activity for those bad weather days because it’s all indoors. Ide Brewery offers sake tastings throughout the day. You can purchase tokens from the shop and then have your own tasting adventure. You can also purchase sake after your tasting from the shop.
10. Visit Another Lake
If you have time, you can easily visit one of the neighboring lakes. Lake Motosu and Lake Yamanaka are both driving distance from Lake Kawaguchi.
Did you find this post useful? Please let me know by liking/commenting below or sharing this post on social media! Thank you!!
2 comments
It’s a shame you had such poor weather. We spent 3 nights and two whole days here back in 2016. Like you we knew the weather could be poor. On the first day no Fuji-san but we saw it well on the second and third days. We would also recommend the ropeway on a clear day. We also found the local colour coded hop on hop off buses very good to take you to the surrounding lakes. Cheers, Mark
That’s awesome that you had at least 2 good weather days. It’s always hit or miss but I suppose that is nature! So glad we finally saw Fuji-san from the train at least!