Fuji Five Lakes travel guide

Fuji Five Lakes: what to see and when to go

The pagoda is Fujiyoshida’s memorial to its war dead, the ponds of Oshino Hakkai have no opening hours, Oishi Park is free and open at all times, and most of Fujiyoshida’s udon shops close in the early afternoon.

We have not visited these places in person. Everything here comes from official pages, and each card says when we checked them.

The vermilion five-storey Chureito Pagoda with snow-capped Mount Fuji behind it and the town of Fujiyoshida below

What to see in Fuji Five Lakes

  • The vermilion five-storey Chureito Pagoda with snow-capped Mount Fuji behind it and the town of Fujiyoshida below

    Chureito Pagoda (Arakurayama Sengen Park)新倉山浅間公園・忠霊塔

    For the view of Mount Fuji, and for what the pagoda in front of it is

    • Views
    • History
    OpensPark open 24 hours. Tower lit from dusk.
    CostsNo admission fee is given on the official pages. City car parks 1,000–1,500 yen per car for up to six hours.
    ClosedViewing deck on timed turns in blossom season; check the city’s spring guidance.

    Checked 7 October 2026

    Read the guide
  • Thatched-roof buildings and a waterwheel beside a pond at Oshino Hakkai, with Mount Fuji behind them in autumn

    Oshino Hakkai忍野八海

    For eight spring ponds, and Choshi-ike where the water lifts the sand

    • Water
    • Walk
    OpensNo entrance and no opening hours. Sokonashi-ike 9:00–17:00.
    CostsSokonashi-ike 300 yen. Private car parks only; Osada car park 300 yen per car.
    ClosedSokonashi-ike cannot be seen when the museum is closed.

    Checked 7 October 2026

    Read the guide
  • Snow-capped Mount Fuji above Lake Kawaguchi, reflected upside down in the still water

    Lake Kawaguchi (Oishi Park)河口湖・大石公園

    For Mount Fuji across the water, and the boat back

    • Views
    • Lake
    OpensOishi Park open at all times. Loop bus every 15 minutes from 9:00 on the timetable.
    CostsPark free. Boat 1,000 yen one way for adults.
    ClosedThe park never closes.

    Checked 8 October 2026

    Read the guide
  • A bowl of Yoshida udon at Miura Udon, topped with boiled cabbage and simmered meat, on a green checked tablecloth

    Yoshida Udon吉田のうどん

    For a lunch of the town's hard noodles after a morning at the pagoda

    • Food
    • Udon
    OpensMost of the six open from mid-morning and close in the early afternoon; Benkei serves into the late afternoon.
    CostsMeat udon 400–600 yen at the shops that list it.
    ClosedSakurai and Kagari close on Sundays, Genji and Tsuruya on Mondays, Miura on Wednesdays.

    Checked 8 October 2026

    Read the guide
  • A young traveller sits on the tatami by an open window, taking a phone photo of Mount Fuji across Lake Kawaguchi, with a low table and a teapot in front

    Where to Stay富士五湖の宿

    For choosing where to sleep by which way the room faces: Kawaguchiko Station, across Lake Kawaguchi, Fujiyoshida or Lake Yamanaka

    • Stay
    • Views
    OpensFuji Lake Hotel about 10 minutes on foot from Kawaguchiko Station; Ubuya about 10 by taxi.
    CostsNo room rates listed.
    ClosedOnly the suite at Fuji Lake Hotel is marked both lake view and Fuji view.

    Checked 14 October 2026

    Read the guide
Snow-capped Mount Fuji above Lake Kawaguchi, reflected upside down in the still water

One thing that could change your plan

Take an early loop bus to Oishi Park instead of the convenience store

The Mount Fuji picture above a convenience store near Kawaguchiko Station drew so many people onto the pavement and road that, in 2024, the town hung a black screen in front of the shop. Oishi Park on the north shore is the place to go instead: it is free, open at all times, and Fuji stands across the water. The local tourism federation says people start to gather from around ten, so an early bus gives you a good chance of having the park before the busiest part of the day.

Read the Lake Kawaguchi (Oishi Park) guide

How the day changes

The ponds and the park have no closing time. The guides give the full tables.

From 9:00

The loop bus and Sokonashi-ike

The Red Line loop bus timetable shows departures every 15 minutes from 9:00. Sokonashi-ike is open 9:00–17:00.

Around midday

The busiest hours at Oishi Park

People gather most from around 10:00 to 16:00, says the local tourism federation.

Evening

The tower is lit

The Chureito is lit from dusk. The lights end at 21:50 on the town’s tourism site and at 22:00 on the city’s page.

Before you go

  • Stop at the tower before the deck. The Chureito is Fujiyoshida’s memorial to its war dead.
  • Keep your coin at Oshino Hakkai. The village asks you not to throw coins, or anything else, into the ponds.
  • Photograph quietly at Lake Kawaguchi. The town asks visitors not to take photos from the road or cross it away from crossings.

Each card shows the date its official pages were checked.