Yamanashi Prefecture
The place
The Fuji Five Lakes sit on the mountain’s northern side, and each gives a different angle. Kawaguchiko, two hours from Shinjuku, has the hotels and the Oishi Park shore with flowers in the foreground; Lake Yamanaka to the east is where the sun sets exactly on the summit — the “diamond Fuji” — between roughly mid-October and late February; Lake Motosu to the west is the view printed on the ¥1,000 note. Between them, the Chureito Pagoda above Fujiyoshida frames Fuji behind a five-storey pagoda, 398 steps up a hillside of cherry trees.
This is also where overtourism has changed the rules. In May 2024 Fujikawaguchiko town put up a black screen opposite the Lawson convenience store near Kawaguchiko Station after crowds blocked the pavement and road for the “Fuji on the roof” photo, and residents around Chureito and Fujiyoshida’s Honcho-dori have asked visitors not to stand in the road. We do not shoot at either street. Drone work happens only on private land — a lakeside hotel or a campground — with the owner’s consent and MLIT approval; the lakeshores, shrines and viewpoints are not flight locations.
Before you go
Seasonal calendar
Typical peak windows. They move by a week or more from year to year; we check the forecast when you book.
A few rental shops operate in Kawaguchiko, but stock is small and fittings start late for a sunrise shoot. For sunrise we recommend dressing in Tokyo the day before and bringing the kimono, or asking us to quote a dresser at your hotel at 05:00; the kimono-rental add-on covers a later shoot from a Kawaguchiko studio. In winter we layer thermal wear under the kimono — lakeside mornings are often below −5 °C.
Chureito Pagoda sits above a residential neighbourhood: use the park’s paths, not the lanes between houses, and do not stand in the road at Honcho-dori in Fujiyoshida. The Lawson viewpoint by Kawaguchiko Station is screened off and we do not shoot there. Lakeside paths are shared with anglers and joggers at dawn, and tripods must not block them. Arakura Fuji Sengen Shrine, below the pagoda, is an active shrine — no drones, and keep voices down.
The Fuji Excursion limited express runs from Shinjuku to Kawaguchiko in about two hours; highway buses from Busta Shinjuku take about 1 h 45 min without traffic. Chureito Pagoda is a 10-minute walk from Shimoyoshida Station on the Fujikyu line. For sunrise at Yamanaka or Motosu, a car is the only realistic option.
The spots
Here is where to shoot in Mt Fuji & Kawaguchiko, with the hours that work and the venue rules.
A five-storey pagoda on a hillside with Fuji directly behind it, seen from a deck above. Commercial-scale setups are not welcome on the deck, so we shoot handheld. In sakura season the deck fills before sunrise and the town runs a festival with shuttle parking.
Light through the year
Cherry blossom around the pagoda; arrive by 05:00 for a place on the deck.
Sunrise is around 06:50 and lights Fuji’s snowcap pink first; the deck is icy, so wear grip shoes.
A lakeside flower park on the north shore facing Fuji across the water. Lavender blooms from late June to mid-July and the kochia bushes turn red in October, giving colour in the foreground in the two seasons Fuji itself is weakest.
Eight spring-fed ponds of snowmelt water in a village with thatched roofs and Fuji above. By late morning the main lane is shoulder to shoulder with tour groups, so we shoot early and keep to the edges; residents live here.
The westernmost lake, where Fuji rises behind the water with its reflection below — the scene on the back of the ¥1,000 note. It is the quietest of the five lakes, a 30-minute drive from Kawaguchiko, and rarely has more than a few photographers at dawn.
The north-east shore of the largest lake, facing Fuji to the south-west. On certain evenings the setting sun sits exactly on the summit; the exact date shifts along the shore, so we check the position for your day before choosing a spot. Swans winter on the lake.
Light through the year
Diamond Fuji at sunset; the sun touches the summit about 20–30 minutes before official sunset.
Parts of the lake can freeze and evenings drop below −10 °C; we shoot in short blocks with a warm car nearby.
Shoots here
These are booked from their service page; the photographer meets you here at the same price.
Read before you book
No travel charge
These come under the Mt Fuji & Kawaguchiko rate: the photographer travels out at no extra charge, and the shoot is priced exactly as it would be in Mt Fuji & Kawaguchiko itself.
Before you book
We watch the forecast and the live cameras from three days out. If the morning is cloudy we move to a later slot the same day or the next morning when your plans allow; if not, we shoot the lakes, Oshino and the autumn corridor, which work without the mountain.
Not for sunrise — the first train arrives after the best light. Stay one night in Kawaguchiko, shoot sunrise at Chureito or the lakeshore, and return to Tokyo by lunchtime.
Only from private land, such as a lakeside hotel or campground that consents, with registration and MLIT approval applied for ten or more business days ahead. Public lakeshores, the pagoda and shrines are not flight locations.
The town screened the viewpoint in 2024 after crowds blocked the road, and we do not shoot there. Fuji over the rooftops of Fujiyoshida can be framed from the park paths instead.
Next step
We reply within 2 hours, 9:00–21:00 Japan time. No deposit required to enquire.
