If your travelling to Japan, Mt. Fuji has got to be near the top of your list of places you want to see! Although Mt. Fuji is not one of the tallest mountains in the world, it may just hold the title for the most photogenic mountain! This is thanks to how perfectly Mt. Fuji contrasts into the landscape!
It is a great spot to go all year round! I visited during winter (said to be the worst season to visit in), and despite our plans to climb Mt. Fuji being put on ice due to the weather, we were still able to breeze our way to some amazing photos! Not to mention, there were plenty of nice places to chill and enjoy the scenery!
If your committed enough and lucky you might be able to catch Mt. Fuji turn red as the sun rises! Just like the photo above!
So I’ve shown you a little snippet of Mt. Fuji, and your interested in going, what’s next?
Getting There
I went to Mt. Fuji with a group of friends. The most viable option for us was to hire a car and drive from Tokyo, and boy are we glad we did! There are so many hiking trails and view points located all around The base of Mt. Fuji! The best way to get a chance to explore all of these places is to drive! I would personally recommend finding some accommodation close to Lake Yamanaka (the biggest and closest lake to Mt. Fuji).
Directions to Lake Yamanaka can be found below!
Why Should You Check Out The Hiking Trails? I’ll Summit up for You!
As I mentioned above, there are a tonne of hiking trails and places to view Mt. Fuji from! One of the trails I got to experience was right next to the Dragon Cave. The cave was one of natures beauties, as you can see from the small clip below!
The hiking trail is amazing as well! During winter the snow makes the hike all the more memorable! The forest that we were lucky enough to explore was unlike any I had seen before! the contrast between the mountains and forest is what made me want to make my way further and further into the snowy terrain!
Getting to the top of a hill is fun, but it’s all downhill from there! Hiking up the various slopes and finding different lookout points around Mt. Fuji is an amazing experience to have! We asked the Ryokan owner where we were staying for some good spots and I suggest you do the same! Nothing beats local knowledge, and you might just get to see a view like I did in the video below!
Japanese Culture Experiences That You Must Try!
While you’re at Lake Yamanaka there are various experiences that you can try! These are very popular in this area and you wont find anything quite like it in the other cities!
The first is Houtou Fudou, a noodle dish that is local to the Mt. Fuji lakes area. The noodles are all home made and typically served with vegetables or seafood. It is a local taste that you must go out of your way to experience at least once! You will not regret it!
The other experience is an onsen (Japanese public bath). Now I know what you must be thinking, you can find these all over Japan so why is it a must do at Mt. Fuji? That is simple, no other onsen in Japan lets you relax in a toasty hot spring while having a clear view of Mt. Fuji! There is no experience quite like it, and it’s well worth getting out of your comfort zone and stripping down with a bunch of locals!
My Final Say!
So make sure this Houtou tourist spot is on your itinerary when you next visit Japan! I hope this post has been useful to you and will help you maximise your experience when you visit Mt. Fuji!
This blog post was written by our intern visiting from Australia, Chris Border.
See what else he’s been getting up to during his time in Japan here.
