Beyond the Summit: 9 Things to do Around Mt. Fuji
The iconic Mt. Fuji is a symbol of Japan that has captivated travelers from all around the world. Mt. Fuji is known for its symmetrical cone shape, a mountain that truly stands out from the rest. Every year, between the summer months of July through September, hikers attempt to reach the summit of Mt. Fuji. Lets be honest, Mt. Fuji looks better from afar then it does close up and not everyone is up for the challenge to reach the summit. Or if you are like me, you’ve already hiked Mt. Fuji in the past and want to explore more of what is around Mt. Fuji. From haunted forests and crystal clear lakes to iconic temples and beautiful waterfalls, here is a list of recommended things to do around Mt. Fuji.
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I’ve been to the Mt. Fuji area twice now, each time for different travel purposes. My first visit to Japan’s most iconic mountain was a dream come true. I hiked Mt. Fuji via the Yoshida Trail, stayed the night at one of the stations and attempted to see the sunrise. If you’ve read my post on Hiking Mt. Fuji, you know it wasn’t pleasant. I conquered Mt. Fuji but the weather conditions weren’t ideal. None the less, I summited Mt. Fuji and am privileged to do so, not to mention some of my rainy pictures from the summit turned out to be pretty awesome.
My second visit to the Mt. Fuji area was planned in a way to explore attractions and sites around the Mt. Fuji area. I rented a car, stayed in Fujinomiya, and took daily day trips. I covered a lot of ground and tried to do a little bit of everything from visiting Aokigahara Forest to driving south to Shuzenji Onsen on the Izu Peninsula. Here is a list of my recommendations on things to do around Mt. Fuji that don’t include hiking the mountain itself.
1. Discover Aokigahara Forest, aka Japan's "Suicide Forest"
One of the most sought after destinations around Mt. Fuji is Japan’s Aokigahara Forest otherwise known as “Japan’s Suicide Forest.”
It’s unfortunate that Aokigahara Forest has such a negative stigma since this forest is absolutely beautiful.
People think it’s bad luck to enter the forest or have a weird connotation that bad things constantly happen here. In fact, the Aokigahara Forest has a few attractions and sites that are worth seeing and can be quite touristy.
If visiting Japan’s suicide forest while on a trip around the iconic mountain, I recommend starting off at the Ice or Wind Caves. These caves are both unique in their own ways but both are worthwhile. I’d also recommend going on a hike n the forest. There are several trail networks throughout Aokigahara Forest.
Curious to learn more about Aokigahara Forest? I wrote a post on my trip here:
Aokigahara Forest: The Reality of Japan’s “Suicide Forest”
2. Drive to Tanuki Lake for some of the Best Views of Mt. Fuji
Honestly, on a clear and non-hazy day, one of the best views of Mt. Fuji can be see right here at Tanuki Lake.
Tanuki Lake is a mountain lake near Shiraito Falls. I love the Tanuki and saw this lake browsing Google Maps so I had to stop and am glad I did.
Tanuki Lake is a beautiful little lake where people come to for a quick bike ride around the lake, camping, fishing, and to take photos of Mt. Fuji.
Mt. Fuji can be tough to photograph, especially during the summer months when it’s humid outside. Most of the times it seems to be either cloud covered or the hazy air leaves just a trace of the mountain off in the distance.
At Tanuki Lake, there is an observation deck that has a clear view of the mountain. If you are lucky enough to see the mountain, Tanuki Lake is a prime location for some of the best views of Mt. Fuji.
3. Explore the Izu Peninsula
For a nice day trip from the Fuji area, I recommend a trip to the Izu Peninsula and visiting Shuzenji Onsen.
The drive from the Mt. Fuji area can take anywhere from 1.5 to 2.5 hours depending on routes, traffic, and additional stops.
There is a lot to see on the Izu Peninsula. On our latest road trip, we decided to just spend a day here. We visited Shuzenji Onsen, went to Baird Brewery for a quick lunch break, and hiked down to Joren Falls.
Shuzenji Onsen was a cute little town that is famous for its onsen resorts, historic temple, and beautiful bamboo forest. I think the bamboo forest here rivals the famous Arashiyama Bamboo Forest in Kyoto, mainly because there were no tourists.
After a stop at Shuzenji Onsen, Baird Brewery is just down the street. They have a beautiful taproom with 20 beers on tap.
To cap off our trip on the Izu Peninsula, we drove to Joren Falls. Joren Falls is listed as one of Japan’s “Top 100 Waterfalls” and it was one of the most beautiful I’ve seen in Japan.
If interested in learning more about Shuzenji Onsen, I wrote a post about our time here:
Shuzenji Onsen: Culture, History, and Natural Beauty
4. Get stunning Photos of Mt. Fuji from the Chureito Pagoda
Another great location to view Mt. Fuji is at Chureito Pagoda in Fujiyoshida. You’ve seen it in Japan travel magazines and postcards. That iconic photograph of the beautiful pagoda with Mt. Fuji in the background.
Getting to Chureito Pagoda is fairly straight forward. There is a road you can drive to get closer to the pagoda or take the 400 steps from the bottom to the pagoda. Each step makes the view that much better, you’ve earned it!
Even on a cloudy day with Mt. Fuji hidden in the clouds, you can still get great photos from this area. The two photos above are different days. The first day, Mt. Fuji was hidden amongst the clouds. Two days later, I woke up, peaked out the window of my hotel, saw Mt. Fuji and ran to the Chureito Pagoda in hopes of getting a photo of it with the mountain in the background. I was successful!
If staying in Fujiyoshida, I highly recommend visiting the Kitaguchi Hongu Fuji Sengen Shrine.
If interested in hiking Mt. Fuji and exploring Fujiyoshida, feel free to read my post on our trip here:
Hiking Mt. Fuji – Yoshida Trail
5. Plan a Trip to See Shiraito Falls
Located to the South-West of Mt. Fuji is the beautiful Shiraito Falls. Like Joren Falls, Shiraito Falls are listed as one of the “Top 100 Waterfalls” in Japan. For good reason, these falls are very impressive and unique.
There is a large parking lot, visitors must pay for parking ¥500, but the falls itself is free. After parking and before hiking to the falls, there are a few gift shops and information centers to browse. Before hiking down to Shiraito Falls, you can view Otodome Falls from afar. This falls is impressive but they’ve built structures around it giving it a not so authentic look.
Hike down, I say hike but it is a quick walk about 5 minutes to Shiraito Falls. These falls are stunning. There is a main waterfall that is 20 meters tall and several other falls that appear to be coming out of the cliff above. In fact, this water is snow melt from Mt. Fuji and the water rushes underground from the mountain to the waterfall, it is a spectacular site to see.
When finished at the falls and walking back to the car, don’t forget to make a brief stop at Obin-Mizu Pool. This is a scenic little natural spring that feeds some water into Shiraito Falls.
6. Sample Whiskey at Kirin Fuji Gotemba Distillery
Looking for something to do around Mt. Fuji on a rainy day? What better way to avoid the rain and escape boredom then sample high quality Japanese whisky.
For those that love whisky, Kirin Fuji Gotemba Distillery offers tours of the facility, has a store, and a tasting room.
Tours are through reservations and can be booked through the Kirin Distillery website.
Unfortunately, I made the choice to come here last minute and could not do a tour. Instead I went to the tasting room in order to sample some of Japan’s best whisky.
It’s easy, at the register you select three whisky’s you want to try, hand the bar tender the receipt, and they will bring you 3 sample glasses.
7. Spend the Day in Hakone
A day trip to the Hakone area from Mt. Fuji is a must! In a recent post on Hakone, I stated that I was disappointed in Hakone’s #1 attraction, the famous Hakone Shrine and the Torii Gate that sits in the water. So why do I still recommend Hakone as a day trip?
Hakone is so much more then its famous Torii Gate at Lake Ashi. Lets start with Hakone Shrine and the Torii Gate. For me, personally, tourism has ruined this attraction. In reality the site itself with the lake in the background is stunning. Because of its beauty, it’s become a very popular tourist site and it shows. When I was here, there was a line of people waiting to get their picture taken here. The wait time was 30 minutes to an hour, which is absurd. As a photographer, who had no intentions on waiting in line for a selfie, I just wanted a photo of the shrine and could barely achieve that. Because of this, I was not impressed.
But if visiting Hakone, there are many other things to do that are very much worth a trip. I recommend visiting the Choanji Buddhist Temple, Owakudani, Hakone Open-Air Museum, and the Amasake Tea House.
Owakudani was my favorite attraction in the area. Owakudani is a volcanic area famous for their Kuro Tamago (Black Eggs) that are boiled in the sulfur springs.
If interested in visiting Hakone, I wrote a post about my day trip to Hakone from the Fuji area:
Is Hakone Worth Visiting?
8. Touristy but Worth it: Oshino Hakkai
In the village of Oshino lies the touristy Oshino Hakkai. This attraction was never on my radar until my third trip to the Mt. Fuji area.
Oshino Hakkai is the location of eight springs that are fed by Mt. Fuji. The springs here are deep yet clear and are worth seeing.
Oshino Hakkai has become pretty popular amongst tourists. Visitors can see a few traditional thatched roof houses like those at Shirakawa-go.
Most visitors come here to see the clear springs, sample local Japanese food, and do some souvenir shopping.
The area at Oshino Hakkai is quite small, I’d say an hour or two max is sufficient in visiting this site.
9. View Mt. Fuji from the Fuji Five Lakes Area
One of the most popular destinations around Mt. Fuji is the Fuji Five Lakes Area.
Although popular, I spent the least amount of time in the Fuji Five Lakes Area. Not because I didn’t enjoy it but I specifically drove around the lakes in hopes of catching a glimpse of Japan’s iconic mountain but the day I was here Mt. Fuji was nowhere to be found. Fortunately, for Jill and I, Mt. Fuji made an appearance on our final day of the trip. As we were leaving the area, Mt. Fuji was clear as day so we stopped once again at the Fuji Five Lakes Area for some quick photos.
The Fuji Five Lakes Area is a popular destination for visitors to stay. There are tons of hotels and resorts here and as well as many outdoor activities from riding swan boats to cycling.
Lake Kawaguchiko is the largest and most popular. The Fuji Five Lakes Area is easily accessible and there are a good number of restaurants and Japanese convenience stores in the area.
Conclusion
If you want to see Japan’s iconic mountain but don’t have the time or interest in hiking it, there is plenty to do and see around Mt. Fuji. Some of the best views of Mt. Fuji are actually from a distance and not on the mountain itself. There is an array of activities and sites around Mt. Fuji that are worthwhile. From hiking through Aokigahara Forest and seeing beautiful waterfalls to visiting beautiful small towns like Hakone and Shuzenji Onsen, there is an endless amount of adventure and discovery around the base of Mt. Fuji.
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Plan Your Trip: 🗺️✈️🇯🇵
Booking Accommodations ⛺️🛖
For booking recommendations on the best deals and locations, check out Agoda or Booking.com
Activities and Tours 🏖️🚁
Find fun activities and things to do through Tripadvisor. If you are looking for tours and day trips, Viator and Get Your Guide have a lot of great options.
In need of a car rental? 🚗🚘
I recommend checking with Rental Cars.
Train Travel 🚂🚊
For the JR Pass, tickets can be purchased on the JR Pass site.
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