Mountains with a Fuji view: best hikes near Mt Fuji

Lake Kawaguchiko is the most accessible of the Fuji Five Lakes, and so the nearby Mt Mitsutoge is at the top of my list. From Kawaguchiko station, it’s a 25 minute bus ride to the Mitsutoge trail head (三ッ峠登山口) bus stop. From here, you can do a 12km, 5.5 hour course up to the peak and then back to Kawaguchiko station.

For those wanting an even longer trail, you can also do a 15km station-to-station hike starting at Mitsutoge station and ending at Kawaguchiko station. I had the opportunity to do this in late March, and got to pass a lot of beautifully flowering sakura trees that I would have otherwise missed, so it was quite a nice hike!

Lake Yamanakako is the largest of the Fuji Five Lakes, and is also the closest lake to Mt Fuji. The nearby Mt Ishiwari lets you get a great view of both the lake and Mt Fuji in the same shot. Although there’s no train station nearby, conveniently there is the option to get a highway bus directly from Shinjuku station to the trailhead, where you can do a 5 hour hiking trail up to the peak, and then back down to the lake.

Mt Ryugatake is next to Lake Motosuko, the third-largest (but deepest) of the Fuji Five Lakes. Its trailhead is at the Lake Motosuko bus stop (本栖湖バス停), which is a 50 minute ride from Kawaguchiko station. From here, you have a beginner-friendly 6km loop course that should take you 4 hours. I also have to make a shoutout to Mt Amagatake and Mt Kenashi, which neighbour Mt Ryugatake on either side. If you were looking for a longer hike, there’s multiple hiking options here, including a 14km, 9.5 hour course that passes all three.

Lake Motosuko also has a rather large campground, so if you’re interested in camping, you can spend the night here before setting out for your hike the next morning.

Mt Odake and Mt Onigatake are two peaks close to Lake Saiko that can be done as a loop hike. Its trailhead is at “Iyashi no Sato”, which is a tourist spot in its own right, and can be accessed by a 40min bus from Kawaguchiko station. This hike felt like a bit of a hidden gem - there are some spots on a exposed ridgeline where you can get some really great views of Mt Fuji. I would class it in the “hard” category only since the hike is over 6 hours, and there are small sections where you have to navigate a steep rock with a rope.

Lake Shojiko is the smallest of the Fuji Five Lakes, and is also the least-developed. So I found Mt Sanpobun to be quite nice if you want to get away from the crowded Lake Kawaguchiko! You can get Fuji views from both the trailhead and the Panorama-dai partly up the trail. I quite like how from Lake Shojiko you can see this cute little mound in front of Mt Fuji. The course is an 8.5km loop, and takes 5 hours.

You’ll notice so far I have listed one mountain for each of the five lakes, but I couldn’t help but mention Myojinyama on here as well as a second option for Lake Yamanakako. I wouldn’t recommend it as a proper hike, as it’s quite a short 1.6km trail from the trailhead to the summit, but it came with one of my favourite views ever of Mt Fuji. The trailhead is best accessed by a car, as the public transport options are quite limited.

Moving out of the Fuji Five Lakes Area, another beginner-friendly mountain that is still quite close to Mt Fuji is Hakone’s Mt Kintoki. Accessible via a highway bus from Shinjuku to the Kintoki shrine trailhead (金時神社入口) the peak of Mt Kintoki has a rather large axe you can take a photo together with.

As well as the 3 hour course from the trailhead, there’s also the option to keep hiking past Mt Kintoki to the neighbouring Mt Myojingatake (明神ヶ岳) for a total 6.5hr, 11.5km course.

Mt Oyama is the most beginner-friendly mountain in the Tanzawa mountain range, with cable car access making it doable as a 3 - 4 hour hike. From Tokyo, it’s a 75-minute train ride to Isehara station, then a 30-minute bus to the Oyama Cable bus stop. You’ll be able to spot Mt Fuji from near the top of the trail.

Mt Ono is another great 4-hour hike to get a clear view of Mt Fuji, with the hike only taking 4 hours. The trail starts at Yaga station - no buses required. With the low elevation, you will be able to climb it for much of the year as well. This is probably the most convenient hike you can do in the Tanzawa area.

Mt Tonodake and the neighbouring Mt Tanzawa are popular mountains for locals living in the Kanagawa area. To reach the Okura trailhead, you’ll be looking at a 2-hour trip from Tokyo, taking a local bus via Shibusawa station. At 8 hours round trip the trail is long, but well-maintained, and so can make for a great training mountain if you’re looking to get some hikes in during the colder months. Of course, not to mention the amazing view of Mt Fuji which you’ll start to spot from partway up the trail.

Another Tanzawa mountain that can be hiked from the Okura trailhead is Mt Nabewari. It’s particularly popular for the nabeyaki udon sold at its summit. If you’ve already climbed Mt Tonodake or Mt Tanzawa and are looking for another Tanzawa mountain to check off of your list, Mt Nabewari is another great option.

The hike to Mt Iwadono conveniently starts from Otsuki station, which is only a 65-minute train ride if you take a limited express train from Shinjuku station. If you time your hike for late March / early April, you can be just-in-time to catch the views of Mt Fuji together with the blooming cherry blossoms at Maruyama Park.

At 2056m, Mt Daibosatsu is the highest in elevation of the mountains on this list, and is quite a far bit away from Mt Fuji compared to the Five Lakes region, but I think seeing it together with the Kamihikawa dam makes for a pretty cool shot. The standard loop course is only 3 - 4 hours, so this is another beginner-friendly option with some great views.

Mt Daibosatsu is particularly popular in autumn, when you can enjoy the colours of the autumn leaves (or “koyo”). It’s a 3-hour trip from Tokyo, with a shuttle bus departing from Kai-Yamato station.

With only an elevation of 599m, your view of Mt Fuji from Mt Takao will be slightly obscured by the mountains in front of it, but it is possible to see it on a clear day! I would say Mt Takao is the best hike near Tokyo to see Mt Fuji just with how easily accessible it is - it’s under an hour by train from Shinjuku station.

Access is via train on the Keio line to Takaosanguchi (高尾山口) station. There’s a cablecar and chair lift, so you can do the hike in under an hour. I would say Mt Takao is great if you are looking to spend a bit of time in nature and check out its temple, without doing too much of a strenuous hike.

Directly next to Mt Takao is the peak of Mt Jinba, which comes with a rather suspicious-looking horse statue. From here you can also spot Mt Fuji, and your view should be a little bit better than from Mt Takao as you are another 200m up in elevation. Mt Jinba’s hiking course will take you 7 hours, and is a 15km course that ends at Mt Takao.

If you’re looking to go to Mt Jinba, you’ll need to get the train to Takao (高尾) station - note this is a different train station to where you’d get off for Mt Takao - and then a 30 minute bus to Jinba-kogen (陣馬高原).

Mt Mitake has a number of hiking courses, but if you hike out to the neighbouring Mt Odake (a 9km hike) you’ll get a chance to see Mt Fuji at its summit. Public transport access is 2 hours by train from Tokyo to Mitake station on the JR Chuo line, and then a 10 minute bus trip from the station to the Mitake cablecar.