The best views of Mount Fuji: my tips from the trip
Japan's highest mountain, Mount Fuji, has always been high on my travel bucket-list - first to see it during the winter and sometimes even to climb it in the summer.
Mount Fuji is not a problem to find. The problem is actually seeing it.
But seeing Mt. Fuji is definitely not a given. In some seasons, the haze is often strong: you can be in Japan for a week and not see the peak even once.
Here are my places and tips - when to go and where I saw Mt Fuji best, including tips from the shinkansen and from the plane.
Read also on our website:
The best time of year to see Mount Fuji
For many of you, travelling to Japan is a lifelong dream. How to increase the chances of not being wasted and actually seeing Mt. Fuji?
The air in Japan tends to be cleanest during the winter and generally in the morning. But it's not a rule - for example, it happened to me that it was completely cloudy in the morning and in the morning (in the middle of winter) and it got nice in the afternoon.
So it's good to be a bit flexible and ideally spend a few nights around Fuji.
In summer, spring and autumn, Fuji often gets lost in a misty haze or straight into the clouds.
- ✅ Best time = late November to February
- ❌ Worst time = June, July, August
Especially humid summer days are the worst for views of Mount Fuji.
Find out flight prices to Japan in winter
My trip - map of places
I ended up seeing Fuji from several completely different places, and some of them were much better than I expected.
- Tokyo - a view of the Metropolitan Governement Building
- 🚅 Direct train with online seat reservation
- Mount Tenjo over Lake Kawaguchiko
- 🚌 Local Bus to Gotemba (pay with IC card or your own contactless card) -> 🚅 Local train with transfer to Fuji Station
- Shinkansen with mountain in the background in Fuji town
- 🚅 Train to Shizuoka Airport
- Flight Shizuoka - Sapporo with a view
Mount Fuji from Tokyo - you have to be a bit lucky
Tokyo is about 100 km as the crow flies from Mount Fuji, but you can see the mountain from here with a bit of luck and clear skies.
It's not a "wow-effect" like from Lake Kawaguchiko, but I take it more as a bonus that I can see the mountain for free without a trip.
It has to be clear weather with no haze though, and Fuji is most often seen from Tokyo in winter.
For me, my best bet is to go to the westernmost viewpoint in Tokyo, which is also free - the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building.
Kawaguchiko - the surest classic
Lake Kawaguchiko is to Mount Fuji what the Eiffel Tower is to Paris: the classic from where you have the best chance of seeing Mount Fuji.
There are plenty of hiking trails around the lake, boats ply the lake and the town is full of hotels, traditional Japanese ryokans, shops and restaurants.
However, it's also worth coming here for the best views of Fuji, especially in winter - when it's foggy, you can't see anything.
- ✅Tip: take the cable car Panoramic Ropeway up Mount Tenjo
- from here you can get the best view of Mt. Fuji
- map of hiking trails in the area
Where to stay in Kawaguchiko?
I only spent one night at the lake. If you just want to see Mount Fuji according to the current weather forecast, feel free to go from Tokyo for just one - there in the morning and back in the evening. Trains run all day long.
In that case, I'd recommend staying somewhere near Shinjuku Station.
In Kawaguchiko, I would choose accommodation based on what you want to experience here.
- Do you want accommodation with a view of Mount Fuji
- 👉 THE TOKI fujikawaguchiko (very modern aparthotel with the best view!)
- You want to stay near the lake and the cable car
- 👉 Kawaguchiko Hotel *** (best value for money)
- Want to stay near the train and bus station
- Plaza Inn Kawaguchiko *** (directly opposite the station)
Show all hotels in Kawaguchiko
How to get from Tokyo to the lake?
The best way is definitely by train.
Regular services run daily from Shinjuku Station to Kawaguchiko Station.
- Direct trains FUJI EXCURSION
- Reservations required - especially on weekends, I recommend booking in advance online
- total price including seat reservation - 4 123 jpy
- running 3-6 times a day depending on the season
- journey time approx. 2 hours 10 minutes
- JR PASS - no
- Trains with a change in Otsuka (or additionally in Takao or Kitano)
- no seat reservation - just buy on the spot at the ticket machine or pay with IC card
- total price - 2 503 jpy to 3 600 jpy depending on the type of train
- run 1-2 times per hour
- journey time approx. 2 hours 35 minutes
- JR PASS - only to Otsuki station, then you have to pay the fare separately
The most iconic photo? Mount Fuji with the shinkansen
You may be familiar with one of the most famous photos of Mount Fuji - a white shinkansen passing in the foreground, with the perfectly symmetrical cone of the mountain rising behind it.
The location is in the industrial city of Fuji, which really isn't pretty at first (or any other) glance.
Still, I don't regret stopping here for 1 night at all (could have done without the overnight stay).
It was just worth the trip for this photo!
Count on it:
- the train passes in a few seconds, follow the track and always have your camera ready
- trains run every few minutes (on average once every 5 minutes)
- it is necessary to walk about 2 km from the train station through an industrial area
I've written up detailed practical information from my visit in the article Photospot shinkansen with Mount Fuji.
Mount Fuji from the shinkansen - where to sit
You can also see Fuji directly from the train between Tokyo and Kyoto, Osaka or Nagoya. To be clear, it's one of the nicest "bonuses" when traveling by train in Japan.
- Direction Tokyo -> Nagoya / Kyoto / Osaka
- Sit on the right in the direction of travel
- Osaka / Kyoto / Nagoya -> Tokyo
- Sit on the left in the direction of travel
Mount Fuji is best seen between Fuji and Mishima stations - about 40 to 50 minutes after leaving Tokyo or 115 minutes after leaving Nagoya.
The mountain is only visible for a few minutes (or rather, tens of seconds), so:
- it is good not to sleep
- watch the map or the scenery
- have your mobile phone ready
- 👉 How to buy tickets for the shinkansen?
- 👉 What to see in Kyoto
Mount Fuji from the plane - an ethereal view
Mount Fuji is often easy to see from a plane, especially when arriving at Haneda Airport from the west, typically from Europe, Korea, China or Japanese cities west of Tokyo.
Arrivals to Tokyo's other airport, Narita, are usually via a completely different route and Fuji is not visible from there.
The advantage is that you can often see the mountain above the layer of haze that spoils the view from the ground.
The downside: you can't control the flight path, so it's not a sure thing.
- 💡 Most arrival routes are south of the mountain ➡️ choose seat "A" by the window (i.e. to the left of the direction of flight)
My personal tip:
The absolute best way to see Fuji from a plane is when departing from the small Shizuoka airport heading north.
You have the best chance when flying between Shizuoka and Sapporo, when the departure often goes just past Mount Fuji. But it's not a sure thing.
Anyway, in this case, I would recommend choosing seat "F" by the window, i.e. to the right of the flight direction.
The route is currently flown by All Nippon Airways and Fuji Dream Airlines.
Buy flight Shizuoka FSZ -> Sapporo CTS
Sightseeing flights
If you want to be sure of the view, Fuji Dream Airlines even arranges special sightseeing flights around Mount Fuji from Shizuoka Airport or Nagoya-Komaki Airport.
These flights are operated by classic Embraer E170 transport aircraft.
- 23 000 jpy - price of a sightseeing flight
- Reservations are made on the official website: fujidream.co.jp/charterflight
My experience in a nutshell
If you want to have the best chance:
- Plan your trip to Japan for the winter months
- Be flexible - either stay at least 1 or 2 nights locally or have the option to plan your trip from Tokyo based on the weather
- Next time I would stay at Lake Kawaguchiko for at least 2 nights and explore the hiking trails in the area
But when the weather works out, it's one of the most powerful experiences in Japan - and it doesn't matter if you see it from the lake, from the train or from the plane.
Any questions left?
If you have any questions or comments about the article...
