This is the final post of my Japan series. For how we got here from Tokyo, see the planning hub.
I am a huge mountain lover – that’s why I had to see the most beautiful, almost perfectly symmetrical mountain in the world, the one that basically represents Japan.
Where we stayed (and why not Kawaguchiko)
We stayed between Fujiyoshida and Kawaguchiko. The villa we booked was enormous, had a rooftop for viewing Mt. Fuji – if the mountain was willing to show itself – and we could easily reach both the town of Fujiyoshida and Kawaguchiko from there.
There aren’t many accommodations in Fujiyoshida itself, probably because it’s actually a residential town. Kawaguchiko, on the other hand, exists almost entirely for tourists. If you stay there, you’ll probably end up spending most of your time there too: there are buses and trains to Fujiyoshida, but it’s still a long way. We like local food, so we didn’t stay in Kawaguchiko. Staying in between gave us the best of both.
The 4am gamble
Seeing Mt. Fuji is the most magical thing – and the least guaranteed. Outside of winter, it’s genuinely difficult to predict whether the mountain will reveal itself. That’s why locals consider seeing it a lucky charm.
For us, the forecast said we might not see the mountain at all. But I wasn’t ready to accept that. I checked Windy for the cloud base and low cloud predictions, calculated them against the height of the mountain, and decided to set my alarm for 4am.
When I opened the curtains, I was astonished. I rushed up to the roof – and the huge mountain was just there, so beautiful, like a beauty draped in velvet blue cloth. A bright star hung with the moon above it, and a thin layer of cloud wrapped around it like a belt. I will never forget that scene, or how it felt to stand there.
There were other people out at the lakes at that hour too. So my honest advice is: check multiple weather apps, compare the cloud base against the mountain’s height, and be prepared to not sleep at all. The mountain doesn’t care about your sleep schedule.
And then, ironically, on the second day it simply revealed itself again – in the middle of the day, in broad daylight, as if the 4am drama had never been necessary. Thanks to that, I was able to capture the vivid summer scene at the famous street by 日川时计店 and at 新仓山浅间公园, the park with the pagoda view you’ve seen on every Japan postcard.
Around the area
We also biked to 山中湖 and passed a big shrine along the way, though we didn’t have time to explore it. For the last part of our stay, we spent an afternoon at an onsen. It was too hot for me, but my husband enjoyed it very much – I believe this was his personal highlight of the entire country.
My recommendations
Rent a bike so you can reach different places relatively easily – distances here are too far to walk but perfect for cycling. You can choose a hotel right by the lake, but you may sacrifice the convenience of getting anywhere else. And above all: don’t trust a single forecast when it comes to this mountain. Check the cloud predictions yourself, set the alarm, and hope for luck. Sometimes the mountain rewards you twice.
That wraps up my Japan series! If you missed the earlier posts: the planning hub, the food guide, Tokyo & Kamakura, and Kyoto. We’re already talking about going back – there’s a whole 北海道 of soup curry we haven’t tried at the source yet.
Mt. Fuji Is Shy: A Practical Guide to Actually Seeing It
This is the final post of my Japan series. For how we got here from Tokyo, see the planning hub.
I am a huge mountain lover – that’s why I had to see the most beautiful, almost perfectly symmetrical mountain in the world, the one that basically represents Japan.
Where we stayed (and why not Kawaguchiko)
We stayed between Fujiyoshida and Kawaguchiko. The villa we booked was enormous, had a rooftop for viewing Mt. Fuji – if the mountain was willing to show itself – and we could easily reach both the town of Fujiyoshida and Kawaguchiko from there.
There aren’t many accommodations in Fujiyoshida itself, probably because it’s actually a residential town. Kawaguchiko, on the other hand, exists almost entirely for tourists. If you stay there, you’ll probably end up spending most of your time there too: there are buses and trains to Fujiyoshida, but it’s still a long way. We like local food, so we didn’t stay in Kawaguchiko. Staying in between gave us the best of both.
The 4am gamble
Seeing Mt. Fuji is the most magical thing – and the least guaranteed. Outside of winter, it’s genuinely difficult to predict whether the mountain will reveal itself. That’s why locals consider seeing it a lucky charm.
For us, the forecast said we might not see the mountain at all. But I wasn’t ready to accept that. I checked Windy for the cloud base and low cloud predictions, calculated them against the height of the mountain, and decided to set my alarm for 4am.
When I opened the curtains, I was astonished. I rushed up to the roof – and the huge mountain was just there, so beautiful, like a beauty draped in velvet blue cloth. A bright star hung with the moon above it, and a thin layer of cloud wrapped around it like a belt. I will never forget that scene, or how it felt to stand there.
There were other people out at the lakes at that hour too. So my honest advice is: check multiple weather apps, compare the cloud base against the mountain’s height, and be prepared to not sleep at all. The mountain doesn’t care about your sleep schedule.
And then, ironically, on the second day it simply revealed itself again – in the middle of the day, in broad daylight, as if the 4am drama had never been necessary. Thanks to that, I was able to capture the vivid summer scene at the famous street by 日川时计店 and at 新仓山浅间公园, the park with the pagoda view you’ve seen on every Japan postcard.
Around the area
We also biked to 山中湖 and passed a big shrine along the way, though we didn’t have time to explore it. For the last part of our stay, we spent an afternoon at an onsen. It was too hot for me, but my husband enjoyed it very much – I believe this was his personal highlight of the entire country.
My recommendations
Rent a bike so you can reach different places relatively easily – distances here are too far to walk but perfect for cycling. You can choose a hotel right by the lake, but you may sacrifice the convenience of getting anywhere else. And above all: don’t trust a single forecast when it comes to this mountain. Check the cloud predictions yourself, set the alarm, and hope for luck. Sometimes the mountain rewards you twice.
That wraps up my Japan series! If you missed the earlier posts: the planning hub, the food guide, Tokyo & Kamakura, and Kyoto. We’re already talking about going back – there’s a whole 北海道 of soup curry we haven’t tried at the source yet.