Fujikawaguchiko

Fujikawaguchiko is a resort town at the northern foot of Mount Fuji, wrapped around Lake Kawaguchi in the Fuji Five Lakes region. This is where travelers come to look at the mountain rather than climb it, and on clear days the peak fills the view across the water.

Lakeside onsen baths face the summit, and Oishi Park lines the northern shore with lavender in early summer, Fuji rising behind the flowers. In autumn the Momiji Corridor becomes a tunnel of maples, one of the region's most photographed scenes, and the Chureito Pagoda in neighboring Fujiyoshida stacks pagoda and mountain into one famous frame.

Buses and the Fuji Excursion train run direct from Tokyo, and most visitors stay a night to catch the mountain at dawn, before clouds build. Winter brings the clearest air, and spring adds cherry blossoms along the shore. Thrill seekers tack on the roller coasters of Fuji-Q Highland; either way, book view rooms well ahead.