Fuji Hokuroku Park: Where Japan Trains at 1,035 m (and a Quiet Autumn Walk)
A national-team training park in Fujiyoshida - sprint camps 2001-2012, the 2018 relay squad, France rugby 2019 - that turns into an empty maple park every November.
Yamanashi Travel Guide
Mount Fuji and Yamanashi prefecture, written from the foot of the mountain. 34 articles covering visibility forecasts, climbing rules, lakes, photo spots, festivals, and the small ramen shops the buses drive past.
Yamanashi · Mt. Fuji's Backyard
Yamanashi: Mt. Fuji, five lakes, quiet towns.
Written from the foot of the mountain by Nobu — the most consistent Fuji views in Japan, volcanic lakes, and the small ramen shops the buses drive past. Most travelers fly past on the Shinkansen; the slow road in is the better one.
Or jump to every Yamanashi article, chronological ↓
◐ Last checked Oct 1
Can you see Mt Fuji today?
Mt. Fuji was partly visible on Oct 1. Today's check is still pending.
I post this Mt Fuji verdict every morning. Follow @hidden_japan_gems →
Where to start
Live data
Is Mount Fuji Visible Today? A Fujiyoshida Resident’s Morning Photo Verdict
Photo spot
Tenku no Torii Kawaguchiko: Fees, Access and What’s Closed in 2026
The climb
Climbing Mt. Fuji 2026: July 1 Opening, 4 Trails & ¥4,000 Fee
Quiet pick
Saiko Iyashi no Sato Nenba: What ¥500 Buys You at Yamanashi’s Rebuilt Thatched-Roof Village
Access
Tokyo to Kawaguchiko in 2026: Best Way by Bus, Train, or Car
Mt. Fuji — climbing & photography
Climbing Mt. Fuji 2026: July 1 Opening, 4 Trails & ¥4,000 Fee
Mt. Fuji Hut Reservations 2026: All 42 Huts, Booked in English
Mt. Fuji Sunrise (Goraiko) Photo Guide
Mt. Fuji Night Climb — A Visual Journey From Dusk to Dawn
Climbing Mt Fuji in Winter: A Rescuer’s Urgent Warning
Mt Fuji Snow: When It Falls and What to Wear in Winter
Best Time to See Mt Fuji: A Complete 2026 Seasonal Guide
Is Mount Fuji Visible Today? A Fujiyoshida Resident’s Morning Photo Verdict
Kawaguchiko Ohashi: The Bridge with a Million-Dollar Mt. Fuji View
Fuji Five Lakes & access
Oishi Park — The Kawaguchiko Flower Park with a Different Bloom Every Month
Lake Saiko 2026: The Quiet Fuji Lake, Four Campgrounds, and the Fish That Came Back From Extinction
Saiko Iyashi no Sato Nenba: What ¥500 Buys You at Yamanashi’s Rebuilt Thatched-Roof Village
Hana no Miyako Koen: Tulips, 3.2 Million Cosmos, and the Free Fields
Lake Motosu: Chasing the Fuji on the 1,000 Yen Bill
Tenku no Torii Kawaguchiko: Fees, Access and What’s Closed in 2026
Your Complete Guide to Lake Yamanakako Access (2026)
The Kawaguchiko Walking Trail’s Hidden Shidare-Zakura Row: A 300-Meter Stretch Nobody Writes About
Tokyo to Kawaguchiko in 2026: Best Way by Bus, Train, or Car
Cherry blossoms & postcard photo spots
Beyond the Pagoda: A Guide to Arakurayama Sengen Shrine, The True Heart of a Famous View
Chureito Pagoda Access: The Complete 2026 Guide to Train, Bus & Tours
Mt. Fuji Cherry Blossom Guide 2027: Typical Peak & Best Spots
Fuji Shibazakura Festival: A Sea of Pink at the Foot of Mt. Fuji
Minobusan Kuonji: A 750-Year-Old Temple with Famous Weeping Cherry Trees
Fujiyoshida Showa & local food
Nishiura Fujiyoshida: A Journey Through Time in a Retro Showa District
Gensuke Fujiyoshida: A Taste of Showa-Era Japan at a Beloved Local Diner
Tiger Shokudo Fujiyoshida: 5 Reasons to Eat at This Authentic Local Diner with Mt. Fuji Views
Hanaan — The Park Canteen Inside Hana no Miyako Koen That Quietly Outcooks the Tourist Strip
Kobaiya — Kawaguchiko’s Quiet Wagyu Specialist Serving a ¥2,500 Beef-and-Tempura Set Under Mt. Fuji
Kinseiken: A Miraculous Wagashi Shop Born from Yamanashi’s Pure Water – 120 Years of History
Festivals & hidden seasonal spots
Fuji Five Lakes Fireworks 2026: Four Lakes, Four Nights (Aug 2–5) — and the Quiet Ones Nobody Plans For
Kai no Katsuyama Yabusame: I Stood at the Rope Line Today and Watched a 900-Year-Old Bow Find Its Target
Lake Yamanakako Ice Candle Festival: One Evening of Light Below Mount Fuji
Kuonji’s 5 AM Bell: A Traveler’s Guide to Morning Prayers at Minobusan
Arakurayama Sengen Park Sakura Festival: 2026 Cancellation & 2027 Outlook
Haha no Shirataki: A Sacred Frozen Waterfall Near Mt. Fuji
When to visit
Spring · Mar–May
Cherry blossoms peak
Chureito Pagoda mid-April. Late shidare cherry at Kawaguchiko trail mid-May.
Cherry blossom forecast → Chureito Pagoda access → Fuji Shibazakura Festival →Summer · Jul–Sep
The climbing window
Yoshida Trail Jul 1–Sep 10. The only legal time to climb. Reservation required in 2026.
Climbing Mt. Fuji 2026 → Hut reservations → Sunrise photo guide →Autumn · Oct–Nov
Clearest visibility starts
December has 86% morning visibility, but late autumn already climbs above 60%. Best for photographers.
Visibility forecast → Best month to see Fuji → Oishi Park flowers →Winter · Dec–Feb
Visibility peak, snow caps
December morning visibility 86%. Frozen waterfalls. Yamanakako ice candles. Avoid winter climbing.
Snow & weather guide → Yamanakako ice candles → Frozen Haha no Shirataki →Where to stay in Yamanashi
Lakeside hotels
Kawaguchiko on Booking
Lakefront ryokan and family hotels, the widest English-language inventory. Free-cancel options are common. Best when you want flexibility and easy comparison.
Search Kawaguchiko hotels → Fuji-view ryokanFujiyoshida & Yamanakako via Rakuten
Premium Fuji-view ryokan listings that Booking and Agoda often miss — including Ooike Hotel, Hoshinoya Fuji, and the Fujiyoshida machiya inns. Best when the view from the room is the trip.
Browse Yamanashi ryokan → DriveRental car from Tokyo
Tokyo → Kawaguchiko is 2 hrs at 5 AM, and a car is the only way to chase morning Fuji light across the five lakes. Cheaper than two adult bus tickets for a pair, with full schedule freedom.
Compare car rentals → Bus & toursFuji day trips via Klook
Highway buses, viewpoint tours, and seasonal activities around Kawaguchiko. Best when you are coming from Tokyo and want the transport handled before the weather window opens.
Browse Fuji transport →Stay in the loop
One Yamanashi update a week, no more
I send a short email when something blooms, when a festival is cancelled, when a hut starts taking reservations. No noise. Unsubscribe whenever.
All Yamanashi articles · chronological
Mount Mitsutoge: Routes, the 2026 Trail Closure, and Autumn at the Foot
The classic Mt Fuji viewing climb, with a 2026 caveat: the Haha-no-Shirataki section is closed. Open routes compared, plus the Shinrei walking path in peak November colour.
Chasing Autumn Down Mt. Fuji: Golden Larch and Two Quiet Waterfalls
Three dated stops from one autumn: golden larch on the Subaru Line (2 Nov), Kaneyama Falls at peak maple (12 Nov) and Taro-Jiro Falls (27 Nov) - with bus, road and parking detail.
Lake Yamanaka Autumn Leaves Festival 2026: Dates, Light-Up Hours & Local Tips
Planned dates 30 Oct-15 Nov 2026, nightly light-up 16:30-20:30, and how to arrive by bus from Shinjuku - with my own full-colour photos from the lakeshore.
Fujiyoshida Yabusame Festival: Where Hoofprints Tell the Future (Sept 18–19, 2026)
Fujiyoshida's yabusame festival, Sept 18–19, 2026: horses run from 1 p.m. on the 19th, and between the runs a hereditary diviner reads the hoofprints — the districts' forecast through next spring. Access, times and my 2025 procession photos.
Fujikawaguchiko Autumn Leaves Festival 2026: New Hours, Paid Parking, and the Bus That Leaves Early
The 2026 festival runs 7-29 November with the illumination ending at 21:00, half an hour earlier than last year, and the town car park charged for the first time. Neither change exists in English.
Shinjuku to Kawaguchiko Bus 2026: Book on the Right Site
From 1 October 2026 the Shinjuku-Kawaguchiko highway bus runs 55 services a day each way, and 32 of them move to a different booking site. Times, fares, and how not to pay twice.
The Matterhorn Train on the Fujikyu Line: How to Ride It (2026)
From September 19, 2026 one Fujikyuko Line set wears a livery marking 35 years as a sister railway to the line that climbs to Zermatt. It runs as an ordinary local — here is how to catch it, and how to use the line.
Yoshida Fire Festival 2026: The Night Fujiyoshida Sets Its Main Street on Fire (Aug 26–27)
My home town's biggest night: 2 km of three-metre torches under Mt Fuji, Aug 26–27, 2026. Times, road closures, 26 extra trains and where to stand — from a Fujiyoshida local.
Rainbow Flower Festival 2026: 80,000 Autumn Blooms Under Mt Fuji (Aug 29 – Oct 12)
The shibazakura fields' quieter autumn act: 80,000 zinnias under Mt Fuji at Fuji Motosuko Resort, Aug 29–Oct 12, 2026. Tickets, dogs, Peter Rabbit's birthday, and how to dodge Silver Week.
Field notes, weekly
One email a week. The Japan worth planning around.