Lake Kawaguchi (Yamanashi)
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4 Recommended Hoto Restaurants Around Lake Kawaguchi, Yamanashi Prefecture

Hoto is the soul food of the people of Yamanashi Prefecture, said to have been eaten during wartime by Takeda Shingen, the Sengoku daimyo of Kai. The Lake Kawaguchi area is home to many restaurants that take pride in their flavors, ranging from long-established shops to award-winning establishments. Here are four special restaurants you'll want to stop by while exploring.

Chewy, homemade noodles passed down from my grandmother

"Fudo Hoto." Uses secret noodles whose recipe is known by only three people in the entire chain.
"Fudo Hoto." Uses secret noodles whose recipe is known by only three people in the entire chain.

A specialty Hoto restaurant that has been in business for three generations, starting from the owner's grandmother. The only Hoto item on the menu is "Fudo Hoto." They take pride in their homemade noodles made from the highest quality flour, which have a firm, chewy texture. The dish is packed with vegetables, including sweet chestnut pumpkins, onions, and carrots. It is simmered for over three hours with a special miso blend including Koshu miso, allowing the flavor of the vegetables to fully soak into the noodles. The soup has a slightly sweet, mellow flavor from the dissolved pumpkin, and their unique spicy condiment adds a perfect finishing touch.

An old folk house-style interior where you can also touch upon local history

A spacious layout with about 300 seats. In addition to tatami mat areas, there are also table seats.
A spacious layout with about 300 seats. In addition to tatami mat areas, there are also table seats

Houtou Fudou currently operates four locations. Each store features a different architectural design, with the Kawaguchiko Main Store decorated in a folk-art style featuring thick, exposed beams. Inside, vintage wall clocks and retro-style public telephones are still in active use, creating a nostalgic atmosphere. Furthermore, you can learn about local history from the legends related to the Sengen Shrine of Lake Kawaguchi displayed on the walls, as well as paintings of Takeda Shingen and his retainers, the "Twenty-Four Generals of Takeda." The souvenir corner offers take-home houtou and local specialty products.

Houtou Fudou Kawaguchiko Main Store
  • Address707 Kawaguchi, Fujikawaguchiko-machi, Minamitsuru-gun, Yamanashi Prefecture MAP
  • Bus accessFrom Fujikyu Kawaguchiko Station, take the Fujikyu Bus Kawaguchiko Sightseeing Bus "Red Line" bound for Kawaguchiko Natural Living Center for about 18 minutes, and get off at "Kawaguchiko Art Museum" and walk for about 8 minutes.
  • Business hours11:00–19:30 (Ends when noodles run out; please inquire for hours after 17:00)
  • ClosedOpen every day
  • TEL0555-76-7800
  • ParkingFree

Enjoy a wide variety of houtou

A set including "Kabocha Houtou" (pumpkin noodle soup), horse sashimi, a small side dish, and pickles.
A set that includes "Pumpkin Hoto," horse sashimi, a small side dish, and pickles

This Yamanashi local cuisine restaurant offers about 10 types of houtou, ranging from deeply flavorful options like "Boar Meat Houtou" and "Mushroom Houtou" to "Azuki (Red Bean) Houtou," which can be enjoyed like a snack. The most popular dish is the "Pumpkin Houtou," characterized by its sweet soup. You can enjoy over 10 types of vegetables, including pumpkin, burdock root, taro, and bracken, and the original extra-thick noodles are very satisfying. They pair perfectly with the soup, which is prepared with a secret miso blend. There are also value sets that include Koshu specialties such as "Basashi" (horse sashimi) and "Awabi no Nigai" (simmered abalone).

Enjoy a relaxing meal in a spacious setting

The interior has a traditional folk house style. There are also sunken kotatsu-style seats.
An interior with a traditional folk house atmosphere. There are also horigotatsu (sunken kotatsu) style seats

Koshu Houtou Kosaku has been in business for over 50 years. With nine locations centered in Yamanashi Prefecture, it is a famous restaurant where people line up for houtou even before it opens. The interior features a large tatami-mat hall. In this spacious area with about 200 seats, not only groups but also families with small children can enjoy a relaxing meal. The restaurant also sells famous Yamanashi confections such as "Shingen Mochi."

Koshu Houtou Kosaku Kawaguchiko Store
  • Address1638-1 Funatsu, Fujikawaguchiko-machi, Minamitsuru-gun, Yamanashi Prefecture MAP
  • AccessApprox. 5 minutes by car from Kawaguchiko Station on the Fujikyuko Line
  • Bus accessFrom Kawaguchiko Station on the Fujikyuko Line, take the Fujikyuko Bus Kawaguchiko Sightseeing Bus "Red Line" bound for Kawaguchiko Natural Living Center or the Saiko Sightseeing Bus "Green Line" bound for Fugaku Wind Cave for approx. 3 minutes, and get off at "Yakuba Iriguchi" (Town Office Entrance), then walk for approx. 6 minutes
  • Business hours11:00–21:00 (L.O. 20:20)
  • ClosedOpen every day
  • TEL0555-72-1181
  • ParkingFree

A flavor that has been inducted into the Hoto Contest Hall of Fame

"Premium Golden Houtou," available with your choice of pork or chicken.
"Premium Golden Hoto" with a choice of pork or chicken

This restaurant won the "Shosenkyo Houtou Taste Competition," an event to decide the best houtou in Yamanashi Prefecture, three times in a row and was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2014. The signature "Golden Houtou" owes its flavor to the "Golden Miso," a blend of rice-malt miso, pumpkin paste, shiitake mushrooms, and kelp. A rich soup made by adding dashi and abalone liver paste to this miso coats the special noodles perfectly. The "Premium Golden Houtou" is a luxurious dish topped with the traditional Yamanashi food, "simmered abalone." It is also packed with a rich variety of seasonal and fresh vegetables and mushrooms, making it full of umami.

A perfect location with a superb view of Mt. Fuji

The walkway is sloped, allowing you to feel as if you are climbing Mount Fuji.
The walkway is sloped, allowing you to experience the feeling of climbing Mount Fuji.

Among the three "Houtou Kura Funari" locations in the prefecture, the Kawaguchiko branch serves as the flagship store. Its stylish building, designed with a storehouse motif, catches the eye. The interior features a unique design with a gentle slope leading from the entrance to the back of the restaurant. Box seats line both sides of the aisle, and at the far end, a suit of armor bearing the "Takeda-bishi," the family crest of the Kai province warlord Takeda clan, is on display. Behind the armor is a floor-to-ceiling glass window, offering a beautiful, picture-like view of Mount Fuji.

Houtou Kura Funari Kawaguchiko Store
  • Address6931 Funatsu, Fujikawaguchiko-machi, Minamitsuru-gun, Yamanashi Prefecture MAP
  • AccessApprox. 6 minutes by car from Kawaguchiko Station on the Fujikyuko Line
  • Bus accessFrom Kawaguchiko Station on the Fujikyuko Line, take the Fujikyuko Bus Narusawa/Shojiko/Motosuko Sightseeing Bus "Blue Line" bound for Motosuko Tourist Information Center (Motosuko Rest House) for approx. 11 minutes, and get off at "Kawaguchiko Shopping Center BELL", then walk for approx. 4 minutes
  • Business hours11:00–21:00 (L.O. 20:30)
  • ClosedYear-end and New Year holidays
  • Admission Fee0555-25-6180
  • ParkingFree

Beef cheek stew and omelet rice made with Mt. Fuji foothills Momiji eggs

The beef cheek stew and Mount Fuji foothills Momiji egg omelet rice come as a set with seasonal soup and salad.
The beef cheek stew and the omelet rice made with Mount Fuji foothills Momiji eggs come as a set with seasonal soup and salad.

A restaurant located in the "Kawaguchiko Music Forest Museum." Its specialty is a fluffy, melt-in-your-mouth omelet rice made with "Fujisanroku Momiji Eggs" from Yamanashi Prefecture. Paired with a beef stew made from slowly simmered beef cheeks, you can enjoy the tender meat, rich sauce, and mellow flavor of the eggs all in one dish. It is a satisfying set that comes with a seasonal salad and potage. Please enjoy the unique flavors of the Mount Fuji foothills at your leisure during your lunch while sightseeing in Kawaguchiko.

An elegant meal while gazing at the beautiful Mt. Fuji

On clear days, you can see Mount Fuji in all its seasonal beauty.
On clear days, you can see Mount Fuji in all its seasonal beauty.

The Kawaguchiko Music Forest Museum is an entertainment museum featuring gardens overlooking Mount Fuji and a European-style townscape. You can enjoy the sounds of historic antique music boxes and automatic musical instruments, seasonal flowers, and fountain shows. The museum also features special spaces where you can encounter the world of Akihiro Nishino, such as the Akihiro Nishino Exhibition, a dedicated theater for the stop-motion short film "Bottle George," and the installation "Millennium Fortress." At the restaurant, you can enjoy a meal while gazing at Mount Fuji on clear days. After your meal, you can stroll through the gardens and spend an extraordinary moment surrounded by music, art, and nature.

Kawaguchiko Music Forest Museum "Forest Restaurant"
  • Address3077-20 Kawaguchi, Fujikawaguchiko-machi, Minamitsuru-gun, Yamanashi Prefecture MAP
  • Bus accessApprox. 26 minutes by Fujikyuko Bus "Kawaguchiko Sightseeing Bus" from Kawaguchiko Station, then 1 minute walk from "Kawaguchiko Music Forest Museum" bus stop
  • Business hoursForest Restaurant (Lunch 11:00–14:30 L.O., Dessert 14:30–17:00 L.O.), Kawaguchiko Music Forest Museum 10:00–17:30 (Last admission 17:00)
  • ClosedTuesdays and Wednesdays *Subject to change depending on the season
  • Admission FeeMuseum: Weekdays Adults 1,800 yen, University/High school students 1,300 yen, Elementary/Junior high students 1,000 yen; Saturdays, Sundays, and Holidays Adults 2,100 yen, University/High school students 1,600 yen, Elementary/Junior high students 1,000 yen *High season rates apply
  • TEL0570-010-223
  • ParkingFree

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*The information provided is current as of the date of the article's update. Please check in advance as it may be subject to change.