Places to see and Things to do at Kawaguchi Lake 

We offer you day tours covering the 5 lakes, you choose the places you want to  stop , sightsee have lunch, and we will tail your personal tour.

Koyo Tunnel along the northern shore of Lake Kawaguchiko

The Fuji Five Lake (Fujigoko) region lies at the northern base of Mount Fuji
about 1000 meters above sea level around the lakes Kawaguchiko, Saiko,
 Yamanakako, Shojiko and Motosuko. It is one of the best places to view
Mount Fuji from a close distance and a good base for climbing the mountain.

Fujigoko is known as a lake resort area, where hiking, camping, fishing and
 snow sports are among the popular outdoor activities that can be enjoyed.
There are also plenty of hot springs and museums found in the area, along
 with Fuji Q Highlands, one of Japan's most popular amusement parks,
featuring the Fujiyama and Eejanaika roller coasters.

Among the lakes, Lake Kawaguchiko is the easiest to access and offers
 the most things to see and do for the average foreign traveler.
The four other lakes are less developed than Lake Kawaguchiko
and are not as easy to access by public transportation. 
 . 

Kubota Itchiku Museum 
Hours: 9:30 to 17:30 (Apr to Nov), 10:00 to 16:30 (Dec to Mar)
Entry ends 30 minutes before closing.
Closed: Weds, Dec 26-28 (open holidays and everyday from Apr-Nov)
Admission: 1300 yen 
A unique museum that displays kimono created by Kubota Itchiku, who spent his
lifetime reviving the lost art of Tsujigahana silk dying. The kimono on display
depict themes of nature and the cosmos and include his unfinished masterpiece
 "Symphony of Light", comprised of 80 kimono that together form a picture of Mount Fuji.

Please contact us to enquire and arrange your choice of personal tour !!

Mount Fuji Places to go Things to see

Climbing Mount Fuji (3776 meters)

Japan's highest and most prominent mountain, can make for lifelong memories. The mountain itself may look more attractive from afar
than from close up, but the views on clear days and the experience of climbing
 through the early morning hours among hundreds of equally minded hikers from across
the world, are very rewarding.

When to climb?

Official Climbing Season

July and August are the official climbing season. During these two months the
 mountain is usually free of snow, the weather is relatively mild, access by
public transportation is easy and the mountain huts are open. Everybody without much hiking experience is strongly advised to tackle the mountain during the official climbing season.

The Crowds

Climbing Mount Fuji is very popular not only among Japanese but also foreign tourists,
 who seem to make up more than a third of all hikers. The peak season for climbing Mount
Fuji is during the school vacations which last from around July 20 to the end of August.
The peak of the peak is reached during the Obon Week in mid August, when climbers
literally have to stand in queues at some passages.

While you may want to avoid the Obon Week, we believe that by avoiding the crowds
in general, you would miss out one of the most interesting aspects of climbing
Mount Fuji, which is the camaraderie and unique experience of ascending the mountain
 among hundreds of equally minded people from across the world.

In order to encounter neither too large nor too small crowds, we recommend to climb
 Mount Fuji on a weekday in the first half of July before the start of the school
 vacations. The downside of a climb in early July is the weather, which tends to be
 somewhat more unstable than later in the season.

Off Season

Some mountain huts open a few days before the start of the official
 climbing season and/or remain opened until around mid September.
 Public transportation, however, is considerably less frequent or
non-existent outside of the official climbing season.

While there is usually no snow on Mount Fuji from late June until October, temperatures at the summit can drop to far below zero in the shoulder seasons. Only experienced hikers should consider the ascent in late June or September. If there is snow on the mountain, appropriate mountaineering equipment and experience is required.

From October to around mid June, climbing to the summit is highly perilous due to extreme wind and weather conditions, snow, ice and a risk of avalanches.

The windy road, that leads up to the 5th station, is named Fujisan Skyline and used
to be a toll road. It is now free to use, but gets closed to private vehicles during
the peak of the the climbing season (July 16-19, August 6-15 and August 20-22, 2010),
when shuttle buses are in operation. The road gets also closed during winter, typically
from late November to late April.

    "Saiko Lake"

    Places to see

     Things to do

               Lake Saiko

Is smaller and much less developed than neighboring Lake Kawaguchiko.
 The views of Mount Fuji from Lake Saiko's shores are blocked by other mountains,
except at the lake's western end from where there are beautiful, full views of the
volcano.

Lake Saiko is surrounded by wooded mountains and a few camp sites, and is a popular
destination for those interested in camping, boating, fishing and other outdoor
activities. A network of hiking trails covers the mountains and hills surrounding
the lake, as well as Aokigahara Jukai, an expansive forest south of the lake,
 infamous as a suicide spot and for people getting lost.

Several caves, formed during past eruptions of Mount Fuji, can be found around
Aokigahara Jukai in the vicinity of Lake Saiko. Three of them, the Ice Cave,
Wind Cave and Bat Cave, have been developed to be easily accessible to tourists.
The area is also known for its autumn colors which are usually at their best around the first half of November.

 

The Bat cave

Hours: 9:00 to 17:00
Closed: December 1 to March 19
Admission: 300 yen 
The Bat Cave, named after its former winter inhabitants, is the most
extensive of the three caves. In total the cave is nearly 350 meters
long and has multiple large chambers and diverging tunnels to be explored.
 Some of the tunnels come with rather low ceilings. 

 

                   Ice Cave
Hours: 9:00 to 17:00
Closed: No closing days
Admission: 280 yen 
Even during the summer, the temperature in the
Ice Cave usually stays below freezing. Consequently
the cave has been used since the early 1900s to store
 ice for use around the year. The circular walk through this cave
is not very long, but contains passages with low ceilings and slippery stairs.

Yamanaka Lake Places to go Things to see

 

You will find many restaurants, souvenir shops and food vendors around the ponds which sell vegetables, sweets, pickles, crafts and other local products. Some operate small outdoor grills to attract shoppers with the
alluring smells of roasted sweet potato and toasted rice crackers .

A small open air museum, the Hannoki Bayashi Shiryokan, surrounds Oshino Hakkai's
largest pond and costs a small admission fee. It contains a traditional thatched
roof farmhouse that can be viewed inside and displays various farming tools,
 household items, samurai armor and weapons.

 

 

 

 

       Lake Yamanakako

 Is the largest of the Fuji Five Lakes and the second most
developed lake behind Lake Kawaguchiko with small towns at its western
 and eastern ends and a few hotels, minshuku, camping grounds and restaurants in between.
 There are good views of Mount Fuji from around the lake, especially from along its less
developed northern shore.

Lake Yamanakako is popular among Japanese outdoor sports enthusiasts who enjoy boating,
 fishing, water skiing, wind surfing and other water sports on the lake, as well as
 camping, tennis and other activities along its shores. Many sport camps are
found around the lake, which become crowded with student athletes during summer holidays.

A few public hot springs baths can also be found around Lake Yamanakako. Benifuji no Yu around the lake's western end is one of surprisingly few establishments with good views of Mount Fuji from its baths. Ishiwari no Yu near the lake's eastern end does not have views of the mountain.

 

Motosu Lake

Places to go Things to see

               Lake Motosuko

is the westernmost of the Fuji Five Lakes and best known for its appearance on the reverse side of the 1000 yen bill and the former 5000 yen bill. The lake is difficult to access by public transportation and largely undeveloped except
for a few campsites around its shores. Outdoor activities such as camping, hiking,
 fishing, boating and other water sports can be enjoyed around the lake.

Lake Motosuko was formed when an eruption by Mount Fuji separated a larger prehistoric
lake into three smaller lakes in the 9th century. The resulting three lakes, Motosuko,
Saiko and Shojiko, seem to remain connected by underground waterways, as they continue
to constantly maintain the same water level of 900 meters above sea level.
 

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 The Kachi Kachi

 Ropeway ascends to an observation point
near the summit of Mount Tenjo, from where Lake Kawaguchiko and
Mount Fuji can be seen.
The ropeway is one end point of the popular day hike to Mount Mitsutoge.

Along the northern shore of Lake Yamanakako

The Kawaguchiko Music Forest

is a small theme park and museum devoted to automatic musical
 instruments. Its main hall displays antique music boxes, mechanical organs and other
automatic musical instruments mostly from European countries. The largest of them is a
French fairground organ from 1905 which takes up an entire hall and plays every 30 minutes. The main building also houses a concert hall where classical musicians from around the world perform.

The park outside encloses European style gardens with good views of Mount Fuji
across the lake. Walking paths lead among the garden's manicured lawns and winding
canal, connecting the museums's restaurant, shops, chapel and rose garden to one another.
 The Music Forest is run by the Ukai Group, which also operates the Glass Forest, a
 Venetian glass museum in Hakone

From Kachikachi Mountain
Yamanashi Prefecture
Coordinates 35°30′54″N 138°45′24″E / 35.515°N 138.75667°
E / 35.515; 138.75667Coordinates: 35°30′54″N 138°45′24″E / 35.515°
N 138.75667°E / 35.515; 138.75667 
Surface area 6.13 km²
Surface elevation 830 m

 Kawaguchiko Museum of Art  

Hours: 9:30 to 17:00 (admission until 16:30)
Closed: Tuesdays, unless Tuesday is a national holiday
Admission: 800 yen 
The Kawaguchiko Museum of Art houses rotating temporary exhibitions of Japanese and
 foreign modern artists as well as a small permanent collection of paintings
and photographs featuring Mount Fuji. 

Mount Fuji 5th. station

  Subashiri 5th Station

Among the four 5th Stations on Mount Fuji, this one on the eastern
 side of the mountain is the second easiest to access by public transportation from
 Tokyo after the Kawaguchiko 5th Station. Buses serve the station daily during the
 climbing season from July until late September and run on weekends and national
 holidays from May through October.

Like the Gotemba 5th Station, the Subashiri 5th Station is far less developed than
 the Kawaguchiko 5th Station, consisting of only a parking lot, toilets and two small
 shops and restaurants. Coin lockers are not available. The 5th Station is reached by
 a scenic, winding drive through Mount Fuji's forests

Besides the trail to the summit of Mount Fuji, Subashiri 5th Station offers an alternate,
 much shorter hiking trail to a small peak called Kofuji ("Little Fuji"). Kofuji is a 1979
meter high secondary peak that formed on the side of Mount Fuji sometime before recorded
 history. It can be reached in a 20 minute walk from the 5th Station along a nature trail
through the forest.

Besides the trail to the summit, Fujinomiya 5th Station offers a shorter hiking trail
to Hoeizan, a nearby secondary peak with crater on the slopes of Mount Fuji. Hoeizan
 was formed in 1707 and 1708 during the Hoei Era of the Edo Period, when Mount Fuji
last erupted.

The trail to Hoeizan branches off the Fujinomiya Trail at the 6th station, and it takes
 about 30 minutes to reach the crater rim, from where nice views of Hoeizan's crater
and peak can be enjoyed. Hikers can then return to the 5th Station via a circular route
 or continue for another 30-60 minutes through the crater and up to the peak of Hoeizan
on the opposite side of the crater.

The Gotemba 5th Station

Is the least developed of the four 5th stations on
Mount Fuji, and consists of little more than a small shop,
toilets and parking lots.

Saiko Lake 

Koyodai  

Hours: 8:30 to 17:00 (from 7:00 from late Oct to Nov)
Closed: No closing days
Admission: 150 yen 
Koyodai is one of the smaller mountains south of the lake, which
is famous for and named after its autumn colors (koyo). The summit
 of Koyodai is accessible  and offers excellent views of Mount Fuji from a paid observation deck.
 The summit is also accessible by car. 

                    Yurari  

Hours: 10:00 to 22:00
Closed: No closing days
Admission: 1200 yen 
Yurari is a modern, beautifully designed public hot spring
 facility with a variety of gender segregated indoor and outdoor baths.
 The baths on the second floor have nice views of Mount Fuji.
 Private baths with views of the mountain are also available (45 minutes, 1580 yen). 

Yamanaka Lake 

Oshino Hakkai

Is a touristy set of eight ponds in Oshino, a small village in the
 Fuji Five Lake region, located between Lake Kawaguchiko and
Lake Yamanakako on the site of a former sixth lake that dried out several
 hundred years ago. The eight ponds are fed by snow melt from the slopes of
nearby Mount Fuji that filters down the mountain through porous layers of
lava for over 80 years, resulting in very clear water that is revered by the locals.