Hey all!
I’m going to Japan for the first time in March and trying to get everything figured out. As of right now I have a pretty packed itinerary between Tokyo and Osaka.
I would love to see Mount Fuji but since it is a little ways outside of Tokyo then it makes sense to see it as I’m travelling from Tokyo to Osaka. However the best views seem to be on the north side of the mountain, which adds another 4 hours to my travel time since I have to go back to Tokyo to then head to Osaka after seeing the mountain.
Does anyone know a good spot on the south side of the mountain for a good view which reduces the travel time significantly. Any help would be greatly appreciated!
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Lake Kawaguchiko
If weather is good, you can see if from the shinkansen. I would not go as far as to commit to a stop at Shin-Fuji station, especially if the weather is not perfect blue sky.
How long are you trying to see it? You can see it well from the Shinkansen for about 3-5 min
You can get a nice view from Enoshima. It’s not a close view, if that’s what you want, but it’s pretty with the water view in front.
You could try somewhere in Hakone like Lake Ashi or Shizuoka like the Nihondaira Ropeway. Those are pretty close to the train line.
You can also actually see it from Tokyo itself if the weather is very clear, like from the Sky Tree or the Metropolitan Building.
I lived across the bay In a small town in Chiba for three years. Mt Fuji would randomly appear (typically in winter months) as if it was just a few miles away. Most of the time it’s hidden in humid, smoggy skies. If your lucky you’ll see it from the train. I wouldn’t bother stopping because you could literally be right next to it and not be able to see it.
There is some element of chance to seeing Fuji, so you can’t quite guarantee a view. There was [an interesting article](https://livejapan.com/en/in-tokyo/in-pref-fuji_mountain/in-mount_fuji/article-a0002532/) I read with statistics collected from Fuji City, Shizuoka, and there’s maybe a 60% chance of seeing the mountain in March, 30% chance in April.
The probability of seeing Fuji from further out (e.g. Hakone, Tokyo, elsewhere) is even worse.
Hence, I wouldn’t *plan* on stopping until you have a weather forecast.
Technically speaking, you also don’t have to go back to Tokyo if you go to Kawaguchiko. There are several buses that run south from Kawaguchiko to Mishima/Shin-Fuji which are roughly equivalent in time as going back to Tokyo, but they run less often. There is also an overnight bus to Kyoto/Osaka. Here are some time tables if you’re interested:
* [Kawaguchiko <=> Shin-Fuji](http://bus-en.fujikyu.co.jp/route/detail/id/7/)
* [Kawaguchiko <=> Mishima](http://bus-en.fujikyu.co.jp/highway/detail/id/29/)
* [Kawaguchiko <=> Kyoto/Osaka](http://bus-en.fujikyu.co.jp/highway/detail/id/9/#timetable)
If you can get a rental car at Shin-Fuji station you can drive to Obuchi Sasaba tea plantation (30 minutes drive) or, if it’s really late March, you may catch the cherry blossoms at Takito Bridge (15 minutes drive). Very beautiful places with a view of Mount Fuji not much different from Lake Kawaguchi (distance wise).