The Fuji Five Lakes — Fujigoko in Japanese — are five lakes strung along the northern base of Mt Fuji in Yamanashi Prefecture: Kawaguchiko, Yamanakako, Saiko, Shojiko and Motosuko. If you only have one day, go to Kawaguchiko. It has the transport links, the accommodation, the food and the postcard view, and the other four are a short drive away when you want them.
The rest of this guide answers the four questions people actually arrive with: is it worth going, how do you get there from Tokyo, how long to spend, and what there is to do once you are there. It also covers the part most guides skip — the lakes are spread over roughly 30 km end to end, and how you move between them decides how much of the region you see.
Is the Fuji Five Lakes Area Worth Visiting?
Yes, if you want Mt Fuji at its most recognisable — the symmetrical cone reflected in water. No, if you are hoping for a mountain resort with a lot going on: outside Kawaguchiko this is a quiet rural region, and that is the point of it.
The honest risk is the weather. In July and August the mountain is frequently invisible behind haze all day, and visitors who came only for the view leave disappointed. Between November and February you have the best odds of the year. If you are travelling in summer, plan the day so it still works without Fuji — the caves, the villages and the lakes themselves are worth the trip on their own.
Want to see it for yourself?
How to Get to the Fuji Five Lakes from Tokyo
The highway bus from Shinjuku is the cheapest and simplest way in; driving is the fastest way around once you arrive. Both take roughly the same time to reach Kawaguchiko.
| Way in | Time to Kawaguchiko | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Highway bus from Busta Shinjuku | About 2 hours | Direct, no transfers, book ahead in peak season |
| Train via Otsuki (JR Chuo + Fujikyu Railway) | About 2.5 hours | One change; scenic on the Fujikyu section |
| Driving via the Chuo Expressway | 90 minutes–2 hours | Fastest outside peak times; slowest on holiday weekends |
| Bus from Hakone / Gotemba | 1.5–2 hours | Useful if you are combining Hakone and Fuji |
One thing to know before you choose: arriving is the easy part. Once you are in the region, the bus network thins out quickly away from Kawaguchiko, and that is what limits a bus-based day to one or two lakes.
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How Long to Spend at the Fuji Five Lakes
One night is the right answer for most visitors. A day trip works but forces you to skip either the early-morning view or the late-afternoon light, and those are the two hours the region is best.
- Fuji Five Lakes day trip — a one-day itinerary covering Kawaguchiko only: the lakeshore, the ropeway, Oishi Park, and back to Tokyo on an evening bus.
- One night — Kawaguchiko plus one or two other lakes, with a dawn start for the reflection shot on day two.
- Two nights — all five lakes, the lava caves, Oshino Hakkai and a hike, at an unhurried pace.
The Five Lakes of Mt Fuji, One by One
They differ more than the name suggests. Two are developed, three are quiet, and only some of them give you a Fuji reflection.
Lake Kawaguchiko — the one to pick if you pick one
The most accessible and the most developed of the five, with the region's train station, most of its hotels and onsen, and the Kachi Kachi ropeway up Mt Tenjo. The northern shore is where the classic reflection photograph is taken, and Oishi Park on that shore is the lavender-and-kochia foreground you have probably seen.
Lake Yamanakako — the largest of the Fuji Five Lakes
The biggest lake by surface area and the highest in elevation, about 20 minutes east of Kawaguchiko by car. Watersports in summer, swans on the water, and the best chance in the region of the "Diamond Fuji" effect, when the sun sets directly on the summit in mid-winter.
Lake Saiko — quiet, with the lava caves and Aokigahara
Barely developed, ringed by forest, and the base for the region's lava tube caves — the Bat Cave, the Ice Cave and the Wind Cave, all formed by Fuji's eruptions and all open for a paid, guided walk-through. Saiko Iyashi-no-Sato Nenba, a reconstructed thatched-roof village on the western shore, is the other reason to come.
Lake Shojiko — the smallest and most secluded
The smallest of the five and the least visited. There is almost nothing here except the view, which is the appeal: from the northern shore Mt Fuji appears with Mt Omuro standing in front of it, a composition known as "Fuji with a child on its back".
Lake Motosuko — the view on the 1,000-yen note
The westernmost and deepest of the five at about 121.6 m. The view of Fuji from the northern shore near the Nakanoura campground is the image printed on the back of Japan's 1,000-yen banknote, based on a photograph taken by Koyo Okada. Hold the note up at the right spot and it lines up.
Reading vs. driving
Things to Do in the Fuji Five Lakes
There is enough here for two full days even if Mt Fuji never shows itself. The list below is grouped by what people search for rather than by lake.
- Hiking — Mt Tenjo above Kawaguchiko for the short version, the Mt Mitsutoge ridge for a proper half-day walk with the best wide view of the mountain in the region.
- Caves — the Narusawa Ice Cave and Fugaku Wind Cave near Saiko, both lava tubes, both cold enough for a jacket in August.
- Villages and springs — Oshino Hakkai, eight spring-fed ponds fed by Fuji's snowmelt, and Iyashi-no-Sato Nenba on Lake Saiko.
- Onsen — most of the region's hot spring hotels are on the Kawaguchiko shore, and several open their baths to day visitors.
- Camping — the lakeshores at Motosuko and Shojiko have well-known lakeside campgrounds, including the one the banknote view was photographed from.
- Theme park — Fuji-Q Highland sits between Kawaguchiko and Fujiyoshida with the mountain directly behind the rides.
Driving the Five Lakes: Distances, Times and Parking
All five lakes fit into a single day by car and into no realistic day by bus. The whole chain is roughly 30 km end to end on Route 139 and the lakeside roads.
We run self-drive cars out of Tokyo and the Fuji Five Lakes region is one of the two places our customers point them at most often. What comes back from those trips:
| Leg | By car | By public transport |
|---|---|---|
| Kawaguchiko → Yamanakako | About 20 min | Bus, roughly 30–50 min with waits |
| Kawaguchiko → Saiko | About 15 min | Retro bus loop, limited frequency |
| Saiko → Shojiko → Motosuko | About 25 min total | Sparse; not practical as a chain |
| Tokyo → Kawaguchiko | 90 min–2 hours | Bus about 2 hours |
- Go anticlockwise from Kawaguchiko — Yamanakako first thing, then back west through Saiko, Shojiko and Motosuko in the afternoon. The morning light is better on the eastern side.
- Parking is free or cheap at four of the five lakes and tight only around Oishi Park and the Kawaguchiko station area at peak times.
- Route 139 backs up badly on holiday weekends — Golden Week, Obon and the November foliage weeks. Starting before 07:00 avoids most of it.
- The 5th Station road is restricted in summer. The Fuji Subaru Line is closed to private vehicles from 18:00 on 3 July 2026 to 18:00 on 10 September 2026; park at Fuji Hokuroku Parking, ¥1,000 per vehicle, and take the shuttle.
Our self-drive fleet is four R34s, hired for 24 or 48 hours, up to four people per car, minimum driver age 23, international driving permit required. A 24-hour hire from Tokyo covers the full five-lake loop with a dawn start.
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Fuji Five Lakes vs Hakone: Which One?
Fuji Five Lakes for the mountain, Hakone for the hot springs. If seeing Mt Fuji close and large is the reason for the trip, the lakes win outright; if you want an onsen town with a sightseeing circuit attached, Hakone does that better.
| Fuji Five Lakes | Hakone | |
|---|---|---|
| Fuji view | Close, dominant, reflected in water | Distant, over Owakudani and Lake Ashi |
| Onsen | Present, mostly hotel baths | The main attraction |
| Public transport | Thin between lakes | Dense — the sightseeing loop covers it |
| Best with a car | Strongly | Optional |
| From Tokyo | About 2 hours | About 1.5–2 hours |
With two days and a car you can do both, since the two regions are about 90 minutes apart via Gotemba.
Fuji Five Lakes FAQ
What are the five lakes around Mt Fuji?
Kawaguchiko, Yamanakako, Saiko, Shojiko and Motosuko — collectively Fujigoko, all in Yamanashi Prefecture along the northern base of the mountain.
Which of the 5 lakes has the best view of Mt Fuji?
Motosuko for the classic composition and Kawaguchiko for the most reliable reflection. Shojiko has the most unusual view, with Mt Omuro in front of the cone.
Can I visit the Fuji Five Lakes without a car?
You can reach Kawaguchiko easily and Saiko with the retro bus loop. Chaining three or more lakes in a day without a car is not realistic on the current bus frequencies.
Is there a Fuji Five Lakes map worth carrying?
The region is simple enough to navigate on a phone: the lakes sit in a line west to east along Route 139 and Route 138, with Kawaguchiko roughly in the middle.
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Important Information
- The tour begins and ends at the same location (Shibuya).
- If the Daikoku Parking Area is closed, we will instead guide you to another car meet further away.
- The consultant is a cultural expert and navigator, not a taxi service.
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