POPULAR VIEWS OF MT. FUJI

Along with everyone else, I wanted to see the popular viewing spots of Mt. Fuji. Mt. Fuji is renowned for its beauty and iconic shape, making it one of Japan's most famous landmarks. It’s an active stratovolcano (a type of volcano characterized by its steep, conical shape) that holds significant cultural and spiritual importance in Japan: the mountain is deeply embedded in Japanese mythology and has been a pilgrimage destination for centuries.

There are several popular places to visit for unique views of the volcano. The first is a town called Fujiyoshida in Yamanashi. This town has become famous for an iconic street view with lots of wires and Mt. Fuji in the background. It’s definitely a social media spot, but I actually really enjoyed walking around the quiet streets to get a sense of smaller villages outside of Tokyo.

I ended up finding a side street (not the main street where everyone else takes the famous photo) that I liked better.

The second location we went to was the Chureito Pagoda. You do have the climb several steps to get up, although there is a road as well if that’s more accessible for you. It is very busy with tourists and honestly, a bit underwhelming. I probably wouldn’t recommend this location to people, although I would imagine in peak cherry blossom season it’s beautiful.

We did explore the surrounding area of Lake Kawaguchi and found some great food at Hoto Tempura Wakana. We also stopped for some coffee at Fuji Cafe CUP’S, which has a top-floor deck with views of the volcano.