Mt Fuji sunrise photoshoot
Mt Fuji at first light from the Five Lakes, when the summit is most often clear and Lake Kawaguchiko is still enough to reflect it. We pick the shore on the evening cloud check; transport to Kawaguchiko is not included, so stay there the night before.
- Starting from
- $370
- Duration
- 30 min
- You receive
- 15 edited photos
- Delivery
- within 3 days
Holiday photoshoots
What’s included
- 15 edited photos
- Sunrise at Lake Kawaguchiko, Chureito Pagoda or Lake Yamanaka, chosen on the forecast
- Cloud check the evening before, with a backup morning if you have one
- Private online gallery within 3 days
Add to the booking
Bought with this shoot, never on their own. Fixed prices in US dollars.
Kimono rental & dressing
+$55
Hair & make-up artist
+$100
Extra hour
+$150
Reel add-on
+$120
Drone add-on
+$235
Express 24 h delivery
+$80
Mandarin-speaking assistant
+$70
Inspiration
Mt Fuji sunrise photoshoot: ideas for your shoot
Frames by photographers on Unsplash, credited below — the mood to plan your own shoot against, not our portfolio.
Photos: Dana Andreea Gheorghe, Wren Chai, Ka Long Li, PJH, Muhammad Rahiman Abdulmanab on Unsplash
Where to book it
Book Mt Fuji sunrise photoshoot where you are staying
Bookable in 2 places across Japan; the 1 below have a page of their own. Choose the one nearest your hotel — travel within it is included.
Also bookable in
Each place guide lists its spots, best hours and rules; the shoot and price are the same.
Plan around the place
Mt Fuji sunrise photoshoot: where it works best, and what to read first
Place guides
About this shoot
Being at the lake before the sun
- Starting from
- $370
- Duration
- 30 min
- Edited photos
- 15
- Places
- 2
A sunrise shoot at Fuji means sleeping near it. The highway bus from Shinjuku takes about two hours, and the first buses reach Kawaguchiko after the sun is already up, so clients stay the night in Kawaguchiko or Fujiyoshida and we meet at the hotel. Sunrise moves from about 6:50 in January to 4:25 in June, and the session starts 30 to 40 minutes before it, in the blue light when the mountain first shows its outline. Transport to the Fuji area is not included in the price.
The mountain is the variable. It is clearest on early mornings from October to February, when the air is cold and dry and the snowcap is full; from June to August summer haze and the rainy season hide it on most days, even when the lake is sunny. We watch the live cameras and the forecast for two days before the shoot and move the date with you if the summit is forecast to be in cloud, rather than shooting a grey wall.
The two classic frames are the north shore of Lake Kawaguchi, around Oishi Park, with the mountain reflected on still mornings, and the Chureito Pagoda in Arakurayama Sengen Park above Shimoyoshida station. The pagoda viewpoint is about 400 steps up; wear flat shoes and carry outfits in a bag. From mid-April, when the park’s cherry trees bloom, the viewing deck fills before dawn, so we shoot from lower on the slope, where there is still room.
Thirty minutes covers one of these places in one outfit; a second spot or an outfit change is added with extra hours at $150 each. You receive 15 edited photos in a private online gallery within 3 days.
Before you book
Frequently asked questions: Mt Fuji sunrise photoshoot
What if Fuji is hidden by cloud?
You move to another morning or get a refund. Cloud is most common from June to September, when summer haze sits on the mountain; October to February mornings are the clearest. We check the forecast and the live lake cameras the evening before. If you have another morning, we move to it at no charge. If not, you choose: shoot the lake, the pagoda and the season without the mountain, or cancel for a full refund.
How do we get there in time for sunrise?
Stay the night in Kawaguchiko. The highway bus from Busta Shinjuku takes about two hours, and the first one arrives well after sunrise in every season. A hotel by the lake lets you walk or take a short taxi to the spot at 4–6 am, depending on the month.
Is the Chureito Pagoda hard to reach?
It is about 400 steps up from Arakurayama Sengen Park, fifteen to twenty minutes at an easy pace — fine in trainers, hard in a long dress. In cherry-blossom season the viewing deck fills before dawn, so we often choose the lakeshore instead.
Next step
Plan your Mt Fuji sunrise photoshoot
We reply within 2 hours, 9:00–21:00 Japan time. No deposit required to enquire.