What other travelers are saying about Mt. Fuji Panoramic Ropeway
Buy your tickets in advance and be prepared for a fairly long queue before you actually board the cable car. Once at the top, the views are magnificent, with Mount Fuji on one side and Lake Kawaguchiko on the other. The observation areas are well laid out, offering plenty of spots to relax, take in the scenery, and snap photos.
At the summit you’ll find a shrine, love bell, swing, several rabbit and tanuki statues, along with a gift shop and snacks and drinks available for purchase. For a nice change of pace, instead of riding the cable car back down, you can enjoy a beautiful 30-minute hike down to Lake Kawaguchiko.
Day guides that include Mt. Fuji Panoramic Ropeway
Frequently Asked Questions
The Mt. Fuji Panoramic Ropeway, formerly known as the Kachi Kachi Ropeway, is an aerial lift that takes visitors up to an observation point on Mt. Tenjo, offering stunning views of Mt. Fuji and Lake Kawaguchi.
The ropeway is located in Fujikawaguchiko, Yamanashi Prefecture, Japan, near Lake Kawaguchi, one of the Fuji Five Lakes.
The ride to the observation deck takes approximately 3 minutes each way, with gondolas departing every 5-10 minutes.
From the top, visitors can enjoy panoramic views of Mt. Fuji, Lake Kawaguchi, and the surrounding region. On clear days, it offers one of the best vantage points for photographing Mt. Fuji.
Yes, the area around Mt. Tenjo is associated with Japanese folklore, particularly the story 'Kachi Kachi Yama,' a tale about a rabbit and a tanuki (raccoon dog), which adds a cultural dimension to the visit.
Mt Fuji Panoramic Ropeway is a beautiful experience overall, even though today’s visit came with a few drawbacks. The wait time was around 60 minutes, so be prepared for a fairly long queue before you actually board the cable car. Once on board, the ride itself is short but scenic, gliding smoothly over the trees and giving you a gradual reveal of the surrounding landscape and lakeside area. Unfortunately, Fuji was not visible today due to cloud cover, which can be a real possibility depending on weather conditions.Even without a view of the mountain, the top station still offers a lovely vantage point over the city and Lake Kawaguchiko area. The panorama of the town, water, and hills is genuinely beautiful and makes the climb and wait feel more worthwhile. The observation areas are well laid out, with plenty of spots to pause, take in the scenery, and click photos.The ropeway is a good experience if you enjoy views and don’t mind crowds or queues, but checking the weather beforehand is important, especially if your main goal is to see Mt Fuji. On clear days, this ride can easily become one of the highlights of a Fuji trip.
This is very much a tourist thing, and I loved it 🤣
I chose perhaps the worse day of my kawaguchiko trip with rain and mist, and yet the views were still stunning.
The ride up allows for a fantastic viewing and only takes around two minutes.
Once up there, you have a shrine, love bell, swing and several rabbit and tanuki statues.
The store is good value with friendly staff and ice cream is available.
On my visit I basically went straight up without queuing, however I have passed (during brighter weather) and the queues can get crazy.
For the price it's totally worth doing!
It can get very busy, so buy your tickets in advance. Once you buy a ticket, you will receive a number, which serves as your queue number for the ropeway. My number was 1157 and it took about 40 minutes before it was called and I boarded the ropeway.
At the top of Mt. Tenjo, you get a stunning view of Mt. Fuji on one side and Lake Kawaguchiko on the other. It is really worth the waiting time.
If you are adventurous, you can also hike Mt. Tenjo since there is a trail leading to the ropeway. I chose to hike going down to Lake Kawaguchiko. It took me about 30 minutes and the trail is beautiful.
So my recommendation: take the ropeway going up, then hike going down.
Despite the crowd, it’s relatively easy to buy tickets. However the queue management was rather messy. Crowds and crowds of stubborn tourists constantly hoarding the entrance.
At the top, there’s a gift shop, eateries, swings, and a beautiful, panoramic view of Fuji San and Kawaguchiko! Autumn foliage was awesome.
To head down, there’s a long line so be prepared to wait. Bring warmer clothes/heat packs as it gets cold really fast.
