Yamanashi · Town
Fujikawaguchiko
富士河口湖町ふじかわぐちこまちFujikawaguchiko-machiFour of the Fuji Five Lakes beneath the mountain's northern face
Fujikawaguchiko is a town on the northern side of Mount Fuji in Yamanashi Prefecture that contains four of the Fuji Five Lakes, including Lake Kawaguchi. With classic views of Fuji reflected in its lakes, the Aokigahara forest and lava caves, and hot-spring hotels on the lakeshore, it is the main resort base of the Fuji Five Lakes area.
Overview
Fujikawaguchiko spreads across the lava plateau north-west of Mount Fuji at around 830 to 900 metres. It takes in Lake Kawaguchi and, to the west, Lakes Sai, Shōji and Motosu, all formed where lava flows dammed the drainage of Fuji's northern slopes. Between the lakes and the mountain lies the Aokigahara forest, growing on the lava flow of the Jōgan eruption of 864.
The town was formed in 2003 by the merger of Kawaguchiko with neighbouring Katsuyama and Ashiwada, and later absorbed part of Kamikuishiki. Lake Kawaguchi, easily reached by train and bus from Tokyo, is the busiest resort of the Fuji Five Lakes, with lakeside hotels, hot springs, museums and cruise boats, while the western lakes are quieter, with campsites and forest trails.
The views are the draw: Fuji reflected in Lake Kawaguchi from the northern shore, the scene from Lake Motosu used on Japanese banknotes, and the mountain framed by Lake Shōji. Kawaguchi Asama Shrine and Fuji Omuro Sengen Shrine, together with the lakes themselves, are components of the World Heritage Site Fujisan.
Landmarks
- 河口湖Kawaguchi-ko
The most accessible of the Fuji Five Lakes, with the classic reflected view of Fuji from its northern shore.
- 河口浅間神社Kawaguchi Asama Jinja
Shrine founded after the eruption of 864, with ancient cedars; a component of the World Heritage Site.
Aokigahara and the lava caves
富岳風穴Fugaku fūketsuForest on the 864 lava flow, with the Fugaku wind cave, a lava tube that stays icy into summer.
Saiko Iyashi no Sato Nenba
西湖いやしの里根場Saiko Iyashi no Sato NenbaThatched farmhouses rebuilt on the site of the village destroyed in 1966, housing craft workshops.
Ōishi Park
大石公園Ōishi KōenFlower park on the northern shore of Lake Kawaguchi with lavender and kochia facing Fuji.
Itchiku Kubota Art Museum
久保田一竹美術館Kubota Itchiku BijutsukanMuseum of the kimono artist Kubota Itchiku's tsujigahana-dyed works, in a garden setting.
Mount Tenjō ropeway
天上山Tenjō-yamaRopeway from the eastern shore of Lake Kawaguchi to a viewpoint facing Fuji.
Districts
Funatsu
船津FunatsuArea around Kawaguchiko Station and the eastern shore with hotels and the ropeway.
Northern shore (Kawaguchi and Ōishi)
河口湖北岸Kawaguchi-ko hokuganQuieter shore with the Momiji corridor, museums and the best reflections of Fuji.
Lake Sai
西湖Sai-koForest-fringed lake with campsites, lava caves and Nenba.
Lakes Shōji and Motosu
精進湖・本栖湖Shōji-ko, Motosu-koThe small and the deep western lakes, with celebrated viewpoints of Fuji.
History
The Jōgan eruption of 864 buried a large lake called Senoumi under lava, leaving Lakes Sai and Shōji as its remnants. Kawaguchi Asama Shrine was founded in the following year to pacify the mountain. In the Edo period Kawaguchi was a village of oshi who hosted Fuji pilgrims, similar to Yoshida.
The area became a resort after the designation of Fuji-Hakone National Park in 1936 and the extension of the Fuji Kyūkō railway to Kawaguchiko in 1950. A landslide in 1966 destroyed the village of Nenba on Lake Sai; its thatched houses were later rebuilt as a heritage village. The present town was created in 2003, and in 2013 its shrines and lakes were inscribed as part of Fujisan.
864
The Jōgan eruption divides the lake Senoumi into Lakes Sai and Shōji and creates the lava field of Aokigahara.
865
Kawaguchi Asama Shrine is founded.
1936
Fuji-Hakone National Park is designated.
1950
The Fuji Kyūkō railway is extended to Kawaguchiko.
1964
The Fuji Subaru Line toll road to the Fifth Station opens.
1966
A landslide destroys the village of Nenba on Lake Sai.
2003
Fujikawaguchiko is formed by the merger of Kawaguchiko, Katsuyama and Ashiwada.
2006
The southern part of Kamikuishiki village joins the town.
2013
The lakes and shrines are inscribed as part of the Fujisan World Heritage Site.
Culture
Life in Fujikawaguchiko is shaped by the mountain and by tourism. The old village of Kawaguchi was, like Yoshida, a community of oshi who hosted pilgrims, and Kawaguchi Asama Shrine preserves the chigo no mai, a dance performed by young girls. Artists and photographers have long been drawn to the lakes, and the northern shore has a string of small museums devoted to music boxes, kimono and art.
Festivals
Fuji Kawaguchiko Autumn Leaves Festival
富士河口湖紅葉まつりFuji Kawaguchiko Kōyō MatsuriIn November, with the illuminated Momiji corridor of maples on the northern shore.
Fuji Shibazakura Festival
富士芝桜まつりFuji Shibazakura MatsuriFields of pink moss phlox near Lake Motosu from mid-April to late May.
Kawaguchiko lakeside fireworks
河口湖湖上祭Kawaguchi-ko KojōsaiSummer fireworks over Lake Kawaguchi in early August.
Food
Hōtō
ほうとうhōtōYamanashi's miso noodle stew, served in many lakeside restaurants.
Yoshida udon
吉田のうどんYoshida no udonFirm local udon from neighbouring Fujiyoshida.
Freshwater fish
ワカサギwakasagiSmelt and trout from the lakes, fished from boats or in winter from lakeside shelters.
Getting around
- Kawaguchiko Station is the terminus of the Fuji Kyūkō line from Ōtsuki; the Fuji Excursion limited express runs directly from Shinjuku in about two hours.
- Express buses connect Kawaguchiko Station with Shinjuku, Tokyo Station and Haneda Airport.
- Sightseeing loop buses run around Lake Kawaguchi and on to Lakes Sai, Shōji and Motosu.
- Buses run from Kawaguchiko Station to the Fuji Subaru Line Fifth Station in the climbing season.
Day trips
- 富士吉田Fujiyoshida
Pilgrim town with Kitaguchi Hongū Fuji Sengen Jinja and the Chūreitō pagoda.
- 富士山五合目Fuji-san gogōme
Roadhead at about 2,300 m on the Subaru Line, start of the Yoshida trail.
- 忍野八海Oshino Hakkai
Spring ponds fed by Fuji's underground water.
- 甲府Kōfu
Yamanashi's capital, about an hour by bus over the Misaka Pass.
- 白糸ノ滝Shiraito no Taki
Curtain of spring-fed falls on Fuji's western side in Shizuoka.
Other cities in the prefecture
Frequently asked questions
Where is the best view of Mount Fuji at Lake Kawaguchi?
From the northern shore, around Ōishi Park and the Momiji corridor, where Fuji is often reflected in calm water early in the morning.
How do I get from Tokyo to Lake Kawaguchi?
By direct express bus from Shinjuku (about two hours) or by the Fuji Excursion train, or by JR Chūō Line to Ōtsuki and the Fuji Kyūkō line.
When is Mount Fuji most visible?
Fuji is most often visible on clear, cold mornings from late autumn to early spring; in summer it is frequently hidden by haze and cloud.
Which of the Fuji Five Lakes are in Fujikawaguchiko?
Lakes Kawaguchi, Sai and Shōji, and most of Lake Motosu, whose south-western shore belongs to Minobu; Lake Yamanaka lies in the neighbouring village of Yamanakako.
Related
Sources
- 1.令和2年国勢調査 (opens in a new tab) — Statistics Bureau of Japan
- 2.富士河口湖町公式ホームページ (opens in a new tab) — 富士河口湖町
- 3.Fujisan, sacred place and source of artistic inspiration (opens in a new tab) — UNESCO World Heritage Centre
- 4.富士箱根伊豆国立公園 (opens in a new tab) — 環境省