Easy Travel in Japan
Two days gives the Fuji Five Lakes room to breathe rather than rushing the whole area into a single day trip. Day one covers the classic postcard views — Chureito Pagoda, the Kachikachi Ropeway, and Lake Kawaguchiko itself — with an onsen overnight by the water. Day two moves at a quieter pace through Oshino Hakkai’s spring-fed ponds, a walk through the Aokigahara lava forest, and the shrine that marks the traditional start of the climbing pilgrimage. Every leg is short, so there’s room to slow down anywhere the weather cooperates and Fuji actually shows itself.
The postcard shots — a pagoda framed against the summit and the mountain reflected in the lake.
1The direct 'Fuji Excursion' limited express train runs from Shinjuku to Kawaguchiko Station in under two hours with no transfers. Reserved seats are worth booking a few days ahead on weekends and during peak foliage or cherry blossom season.
2A short bus or taxi ride from Kawaguchiko Station brings you to Fujiyoshida and the base of Arakurayama Sengen Park. Climb the 398 steps past Arakura Sengen Shrine to the pagoda and observation deck — arrive as close to opening as you can manage, since this exact view is one of the most photographed in Japan and fills with tripods fast on clear mornings.
3Have lunch somewhere back near Kawaguchiko serving hoto, Yamanashi's thick hand-cut noodles simmered in a miso broth with pumpkin and seasonal vegetables. It's a filling, warming meal that suits a day spent mostly outdoors.
4A 10 to 15 minute walk from central Kawaguchiko brings you to the Kachikachi Ropeway, which climbs Mount Tenjo in about three minutes for an elevated view over the lake and, on clear days, Fuji beyond it. Give it an hour including the short walking trail at the top station.
5Close the day with a walk along Kawaguchiko's northern shore as the light drops, then check into a lakeside ryokan for the evening — many have onsen baths, some private, positioned specifically for a Fuji view while you soak. It's the difference between seeing the mountain and actually spending an evening with it in front of you.
A quieter day of spring-fed ponds, a lava forest, and the traditional start of the climbing pilgrimage.
1A short bus ride from Kawaguchiko brings you to Oshino Hakkai, a village built around eight spring-fed ponds fed by Fuji's own snowmelt. Waku-ike, the clearest and most photographed of the eight, is worth the earliest slot you can manage before the day-trip crowds from Tokyo arrive.
2From Oshino Hakkai, continue on to Aokigahara, a forest grown directly on hardened lava. Stick to the marked boardwalk trails near the Saiko Bat Cave or Narusawa Ice Cave entrances, both of which offer a short, easy walk into a lava tube that stays near freezing even in summer — bring a layer.
3Head back toward Fujiyoshida for lunch and try Yoshida udon at one of the small, family-run shops near the station — firmer and chewier than standard udon, served in a soy-miso broth with boiled cabbage.
4Close the sightseeing with Kitaguchi Hongu Fuji Sengen Shrine, the traditional starting point of the north-side climbing route. The approach through centuries-old cedar trees is quiet and shaded, a calm way to end a day that's covered water, forest, and volcanic rock.
5Return to Kawaguchiko Station for a 'Fuji Excursion' service back to Shinjuku, again under two hours with no transfers. If your dates fall outside the climbing season and you'd rather do more than sightsee, this is also the point where an extra day for Fuji-Q Highland or Lake Motosuko's quieter shore fits naturally into the trip.
A pilgrimage temple town and former Winter Olympic host, and the closest base for the Jigokudani snow monkeys. A friendly starting point for planning a visit built around a 1,400-year-old temple and the mountains beyond it.
A well-paced two days through Kanazawa: the garden, castle, and market on day one, then a ninja-tricked temple and the historic chaya and samurai quarters on day two — everything you need for a proper visit to this castle town, not just a rushed stopover.
A UNESCO-listed mountain village of steep thatched-roof gassho-zukuri farmhouses in the Gifu mountains, usually seen as a day trip from Takayama or Kanazawa — the architecture, food, and local tradition that make the trip worthwhile.
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