I have never heard of anyone who visited Japan but didn’t go to Mt Fuji. Mt Fuji is one of the most visited places in Japan and it is featured heavily in Japan tourism advertisements. You must visit the small towns located in the foothills of Mt Fuji for the best views of the mountain. The journey to the foot of Mt Fuji takes about 1.5 hours – 2.5 hours depending on your departure point in Tokyo and the town you are visiting. Number of tour companies around Tokyo offer day tour to Mt Fuji. The tour usually involves round trip transport, lunch & cruise along the lake. After doing tons of research i finally figure out some specific places for the best views of Mt Fuji. I decided to go to Mt Fuji on my own because most of the tour operators were not providing any tours which covers all the specific places in a day
I decided to spend a night near Mt Fuji area in order to have more time to explore nearby places. You can visit Mt Fuji all throughout the year because Mt Fuji looks different during different seasons.I visited Mt Fuji during the winter season. People planning to Hike to the top of Mt Fuji must visit the place during summer months. Fujikawaguchiko is a small town situated in the foothills of Mt Fuji. It took me 2 hours to reach Fujikawaguchiko from Tokyo Haneda airport. The town is situated around beautiful lake Kawaguchiko. There are five famous lakes situated in the foothills of Mt Fuji and each of these lakes provides beautiful views of Mt Fuji.
Kachi Kachi Ropeway – My accommodation was situated very close to the Ropeway. You can visit top tourist points around the region either by taking local bus or metro. It took me 30 minutes to walk from my accommodation to the Ropeway. The walk was very difficult because the walkways were partially covered in snow and it was very slippery. The Ropeway is located at the eastern part of lake Kawaguchiko. The cable car ride to the top of Mt Tenjo takes about 10 minutes. During summer time you can also hike to the top of Mt Tenjo. There is a small shop situated at the observation deck which serves great Japanese snacks and tea. The observation deck is placed at a perfect location for great views of Mt Fuji. Unfortunately, the view was not that great because the weather was cloudy and the top of Mt Fuji was not visible. I waited at the observation deck for sometime for the cloud to recede but nothing happened. I came down to the base of the Ropeway and walked to Kawaguchiko station in order to take my train to Chureito pagoda.
Chureito Pagoda – It takes about 1 hour to reach Chureito Pagoda from Kachi Kachi Ropeway. The pagoda is situated by around 20 minutes walk up the hill from the Shimoyoshida station. The pagoda is a five storey pagoda situated inside Arakurayam Sengen park. The view of the Mt Fuji was amazing on the background of the pagoda. The site is very popular among photographers. The place is very famous during the cherry blossom festival in Japan. The photo featuring Mt Fuji, Chureito pagoda and Cherry blossom in the nearby area has been
featured multiple times in various tourist advertisements. The place was not crowded at all because the Pagoda is not part of most of the group tours from Tokyo. Unfortunately, the weather was still cloudy and I didn’t get the perfect view of Mt Fuji.
Fuji-Q highland– Fuji-Q highland is the most famous amusement park in Japan. The amusement park is located by just 5 minutes train ride from Kawaguchiko station. The park contains number of thrilling rides and it is famous worldwide. The park has so much to offer for people of all age groups and you can easily spend a day at the park. The park provides lots of flexibility because you can buy separate tickets for the ride of your choice. I wanted to ride Eejanaika roller coaster because the roller coaster has the highest total number of spins in the world. The park was about to close down but there was long queue for this ride. There are lots of warnings along the way in order to prevent people having heart problem from riding the roller coaster. I was feeling really nervous and i was seating at the back of the roller coaster. You will ride slowly to the top of the roller coaster facing the Kawaguchiko town. The view from the top of the roller coaster was amazing and at the same time you will feel terrified because of the height. The roller coaster started to gain speed rapidly and the ride involved lots of spins, twists and loops. The total ride lasts about 2 minutes. You feel extra adrenaline rush because your legs are dangling in the air during the whole ride. The ride is also called a 4th Dimension roller coaster because of type and the number of spins involved in the ride. The ride gives extra rush because the seats are not fixed and it can be moved forward or backward 360 degree in a controlled spin. The park is very compact in size and most of the rides are situated very close to each other. It was about to become dark and the temperature was reaching below -5. I spent some time around the park before taking the return train to Kawaguchiko town.
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