Mt. Fuji – Fall Foliage and the First Snow
Mt. Fuji, Japan’s highest mountain, is definitely one of the symbols of Japan.
It has been respected as a spiritual place by Japanese people since ancient times. Its natural beauty has inspired Japanese literature, arts and culture, and Mt. Fuji was registered as a World Heritage Site in 2013.
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| Mt. Fuji from Kawaguchiko (Lake Kawaguchi) Station |
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| Mt. Fuji with snow on its head |
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| Mt. Fuji from Fujikyu Express |
Autumn leaves come from north because they need low temperature to turn red and yellow. Then, even if the place is not located in Northern Japan, if it is a cold place, fall foliage starts early.
That’s why Mt. Fuji’s hillside welcomes autumn leaves in early to middle of October. In Lake Kawaguchi, Autumn Leaves Festival starts on 1 November.
At the observatory of the 5th Station of Mt. Fuji, you can see the deep forest and the town. And just in front of us, a lot of beautiful red and yellow trees make us feel Japanese autumn.
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| Views from Mt. Fuji 5th Station |
It was breathtaking!
I’m going to write about attractions at the 5th Station of Mt. Fuji hillside in the next post, and this post refers to fall foliage there.
Leaves start to turn red and yellow in early October and they are at the peak in the middle of October.
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| Komitake Shrine with autumn leaves |
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| Autumn red leaves and tourists in Mt. Fuji 5th Station |
You see, everyone is happy with autumn leaves!
Details for sightseeing in Mt. Fuji 5th Station will be in the next post, but if you hope to go up there, you’ll go a highway called Fuji Subaru Line on a bus.
Never sleep on the bus! Subaru Line is part of Mt. Fuji, so the nature seen from the bus windows is beautiful.
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| From the bus driving Fuji Subaru Line |
I got the very front seat to enjoy the scenery through the front window of the bus driver.
The photo is just one of my pictures. I enjoyed fall foliage all the time on the way. If you are very very lucky, you’ll meet some animals such as Japanese deer. They are shy, but surely inhabit in the forest of Mt. Fuji.
The bus is non-stop because it’s a highway, so it is not very easy to meet the shutter chances. But the views are undoubtedly attractive, and there were some photo-freaks holding their favorite camera.
How bright the peak of Mt. Fuji is!
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| Mt. Fuji seen from its hillside |
The peak gets some snow in the middle of October, which makes Mt. Fuji as its well-known style of Japan’s icon.
So this is the first post about a trip to Mt. Fuji as I planned for this autumn.
Happy if you enjoy it!
Contents
More Stories in Mt. Fuji
- Attractions in Mt. Fuji the 5th Station – the hillside of Japan’s highest mountain
- Things to Do around Lake Kawaguchi & a folk tale in Kachi Kachi Yama
- 5 Best Souvenirs in Mt. Fuji
Mt. Fuji Visitor Information
How high Mt. Fuji is
The Peak: 3776 meters high above sea-level
The 5th Station: 2305 meters high above sea-level
Where Mt. Fuji is
In Yamanashi Prefecture and Shizuoka Prefecture.
Yamanashi Prefecture is neighboring to Tokyo. Right west from Tokyo.
How to get to Mt. Fuji
- By Train: The major way is to take JR Chuo Line Express from Shinjuku, change trains into Fujikyu Line at Otsuki Station and go to Mt. Fuji Station or Lake Kawaguchi (=Kawaguchiko) Station. It takes 2 hours from Shinjuku to Lake Kawaguchi.
- By Bus: There are some fast buses from Shinjuku, Tokyo Station, Shinagawa, Haneda Airport, etc.
- By Car: 98 km from Tokyo City
The ways to Mt. Fuji are quite complicated even for a Tokyo local, so it is a good idea to find a tour you like. There are also discount train tickets by JR and Fujikyu Railway.
Accommodation near Mt. Fuji and Lake Kawaguchi
Mt. Fuji and Lake Kawaguchi are not places of world wide hotels like Hilton, but there are some 5-star superb hotels of traditional Ryokan style. Most of them feature hot spring bathes (Onsen in Japanese) with stunning views of Mt. Fuji.
I picked up some fabulous hotels with high ratings.
- Kozantei Ubuya – Winner of the 2014 TripAdvisor Traveler’s Choice Award.
- Fujikawaguchiko Onsen Konanso – A 5-star, traditional style, lakeside hotel. Convenient to go to attractions and Lake Kawaguchi Station, too.
- Shuhokaku Kogetsu – Expect to see Mt. Fuji itself and Mt. Fuji Reflected on Lake Kawaguchi on calm sunny days. breathtaking views.
- Highland Resort Hotel & Spa – A great hotel right next to Fujikyu Highland, the amusement park owned by Fujikyu Railway.
- Links to other hotels near Mt. Fuji and Lake Kawaguchi
Links to Mt. Fuji Official Websites
- Mt. Fuji Explorer: http://mtfuji-jp.com/ (For anything about sightseeing. You can choose English, Korean and Chinese.)
- Mt. Fuji Weather Forecast: http://www.jma.go.jp/en/yoho/321/ (By Japan Meteorological Agency. “Tobu-Fujigoko” is Mt. Fuji.)
- Japan Meteorological Agency’s Volcanic Warning Website: http://www.jma.go.jp/en/volcano/ (Mt. Fuji has been a silent volcano for hundreds of years. The danger level of eruption is 1, the safest level. If you are a hiker who want to know the condition, Japan Meteorological Agency’s website shows Mt. Fuji and other volcanoes in Japan.)
