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Fujisan, sacred place and source of artistic inspiration

Fuji · Japan

Background

World Heritage since
2013
Type of site
Cultural
Japan's highest peak
3,776 m

The beauty of the solitary, often snow-capped stratovolcano known as Mount Fuji, rising above villages and tree-fringed sea and lakes, has long been the object of pilgrimages and inspired artists and poets. UNESCO's listing covers 25 sites that reflect its sacred and artistic landscape: pilgrim routes and crater shrines on the upper 1,500 m of the 3,776 m mountain, Sengen shrines, Oshi lodging houses, lava tree moulds, lakes, springs and waterfalls, all revered as sacred.

Fuji is the highest mountain in Japan and last erupted from 1707 to 1708. It stands about 100 km south-west of Tokyo and is visible from the city on clear days, its cone snow-covered for about five months of the year; the 19th-century woodblock prints of its views made it an icon recognised around the world. Wikivoyage warns that the mountain is shy and wreathed in cloud most of the time, clearest in winter.

More on the UNESCO listing More on Wikipedia

  1. 11th c.Fuji appears in Japanese art
  2. 12th c.The mountain becomes a centre of ascetic Buddhist training
  3. 1707–1708The last eruption
  4. 19th c.Hokusai's views make Fuji an international icon
  5. 2013Inscribed as World Heritage

Find Your Way Around

The main parts of the site, in the order most visitors see them

  1. 1
    The Summit Climb
    Four to eight hours up, two to four down, in the official season from early July to early September.
  2. 2
    Fuji Five Lakes
    The lakes north of the mountain, with Kawaguchiko the easiest base; a direct bus from Shinjuku.
  3. 3
    Fujisan Hongu Sengen Taisha
    The head Sengen shrine at Fujinomiya, part of the listing.
  4. 4
    Hakone
    The most popular viewpoint area, east of the mountain towards Tokyo.
  5. 5
    Gotemba and Fujinomiya
    Unobstructed views from the south-east and south, with easy train access.
  6. 6
    Oshino Hakkai and Shiraito Falls
    Sacred springs and waterfalls at the mountain's foot.

Know Before You Go

From Wikivoyage and the GoGo guides

Climbing Season Only
Wikivoyage: the season runs a little over two months from early July; transport is sharply cut outside it, and around 250,000 people climb each year.
Freezing at the Top
Even when Tokyo swelters at 30°C, the summit can drop below freezing at night; thin air brings altitude sickness, and most injuries happen on the descent.
Bus from Shinjuku
The easiest route is the direct bus from Shinjuku to the Kawaguchiko Fifth Station; the Odakyu train to Gotemba is the cheap alternative.
Go Early for the View
The GoGo Tokyo guide says Fuji hides in cloud most of all in summer; visibility is best in dry, clear winter air.

Fuji from Lake Kawaguchiko

From the GoGo Tokyo guide

  1. 10:00
    Mount Fuji from Lake Kawaguchiko5 hrs
    Fuji views from the lake, about two hours by bus from Tokyo.

Best Time to Visit

Best months: Nov–Dec. Rainy season Apr–Oct.

Typical highs

Best monthsRain: wettest Jul (232 mm), driest Jan (72 mm)

Climate: NASA POWER

Pair It With

Other World Heritage sites nearby, by distance

WORTH A NIGHTDAY TRIPSAME DAYDistance not to scale · tap a site
Do These Together
The Tomioka Silk Mill is 142 km away and Nikko's shrines 218 km; Kyoto and Nara are about 250 km west.
Sources
UNESCO World Heritage Centre, listing 1418 · Wikipedia: Mount Fuji · Wikivoyage: Mount Fuji (CC BY-SA 4.0) · GoGo Tokyo guide · UNESCO listing