Local Guide
8 Recommendations for Lake Kawaguchi in Autumn, where you can enjoy a spectacular view of Mount Fuji and the autumn leaves.

Lake Kawaguchi, located at an elevation of 830 meters above sea level, usually begins to change color from mid-October to early November, and autumn arrives earlier than in central Tokyo. The highlight of the fall foliage season is the spectacular view of Mt. Fuji over the brightly colored leaves. Here are some of the most recommended spots among the beautiful scenery that will captivate anyone's heart.

The autumn leaves in the foreground, the tranquil surface of Lake Kawaguchi in the background, and the majestic Mt. Fuji. The area on the northern shore of Lake Kawaguchi offers such a picture-perfect view of the autumn leaves. Fuji Kawaguchiko Autumn Foliage Festival, a major event, is held in mid-November, when the autumn foliage is at its best. Not only can visitors enjoy strolling along the roadside along the lakeside and the surrounding trees, but there are also many food, drink, and souvenir stalls and many events. The highlight of the autumn foliage is the "Maple Corridor" located on the west side of the main venue. About 60 majestic old maple trees line both banks of the Nashi River for 150 meters, covering the river in a vivid red space that is well worth seeing. During the period of the festival, the river is illuminated from sunset to 10:00 p.m., creating a fantastic world.

Best time to visit: Usually in mid-November.
Kind of foliage】Momiji (Japanese maple)

Fuji Kawaguchiko Autumn Foliage Festival
  • Address Kawaguchi-nashigawa area by Lake Kawaguchi MAP
  • Direction Approx. 25 min. on the Kawaguchiko Shuyu Bus from Kawaguchiko Station on the Fuji Kyuko Line, and get off at the Kubota Itchiku Art Museum stop.
  • Hours of operation November 1 (Sat) - 30 (Mon), 2025
    Light-up: Sunset - 21:30
  • TEL 0555-72-3168（Fujikawaguchiko Town Tourism Division)
  • Parking Pay parking *Free temporary parking is available

Along with the "Maple Corridor," another popular spot for viewing the autumn foliage in Kawaguchiko is the "Maple Tunnel," a 15-minute drive west from the Nashigawa area, which is also the site of the Autumn Foliage Festival. The avenue of maple trees that extends over Prefectural Route 21, commonly known as the "Kohoku View Line," turns red during the fall foliage season, and just passing through this vivid space is enough to lift one's spirits.
It is also famous as a photogenic spot, and is crowded with tourists who enjoy taking pictures of the autumn foliage and finding angles to view Lake Kawaguchi and Mount Fuji through the maple groves. In the late afternoon, the roadside is shaded, making it difficult to photograph the rows of colored maple trees lining the center of the road in vivid color. Also, the road is not lit up like the Maple Corridor, so visit early in the day.

Best time to visit: Usually from mid to late November.
Kind of foliage: Iroha maple (Acer palmatum)

Maple Tunnel
  • Address YamanashiFujikawaguchiko Town, Minamitsuru-gunOishi MAP
  • Direction15 minutes drive from Kawaguchiko Station of Fuji Kyuko Line
  • TEL 0555-72-3168（Fujikawaguchiko Town Tourism Division)
  • Parking Free of charge

Oishi Park is located on the northern shore of Kawaguchi Lake. Along the promenade called "Hana Kaido," visitors can enjoy the autumn scenery of Mt. Fuji, Lake Kawaguchi, and flowers. Fuji, Lake Kawaguchi, and flowers. It is a popular spot for taking photographs, as you will encounter such a moving scene that you will want to capture it in your photos. The kochia tree sea, which turns bright red, adorns this flower highway from mid-October, one step earlier than the maple trees. The conical, fuzzy shapes resemble balls of yarn, and when you are in a space where they are neatly lined up on the ground, you feel as if you have wandered into a picture book world. Fuji and kochia, the scenery is different from that of deciduous trees, and is well worth seeing.
After enjoying a stroll, go to a café in the park where you can view Mt. Fuji in its cotton cap.

Best time to visit: Usually from mid to late October.
Kochia (kochia)

Oishi Park
  • Address 2525-11 Oishi, Kawaguchiko Town, Fuji MAP
  • Direction From Kawaguchiko Station, take the Fujikyu Bus "Kawaguchiko Shuyu Bus" (25 minutes), and get off at the last stop, "Kawaguchiko Shizen Seikatsukan" (1 minute).
  • Hours of operation Open 24 hours a day
    Kawaguchiko Shizen Seikatsukan is open from 9:00 to 18:00 (until 17:30 in winter from November to March).
  • Closed No
  • TEL 0555-72-3168（Fujikawaguchiko Town Tourism Division)
  • Parking Free of charge

Momijidai Rest House is located about 30 minutes up the ridge road from the Parking. From the observatory, you can enjoy a 360-degree panoramic view of the autumn scenery. Fuji in front of you and the Aokigahara Sea of Trees at the foot of the mountain to the south. As autumn deepens, the sea of trees, with its mixture of red and yellow deciduous trees and green coniferous trees, is like a colorful brocade that is very vivid to the eye. On the other hand, you can see Lake Nishiko, one of the Five Lakes of Fuji, to the north and Lake Motosu to the west.
The autumn leaves at Sankodai, located about 20 minutes up a gentle slope from the rest house, are also exceptional. As the name suggests, you can see three lakes at once: Lake Nishiko, Lake Motosu, and Lake Shojin, all dyed in autumn colors. If you visit the San-kodai, it is recommended to enjoy the autumn leaves in a hiking mood with plenty of time to spare.

Best time to visit: Usually from late October to mid-November.
Maple trees, Japanese maples, Japanese quercus, and quercus serrata.

Momijidai (Momijidai Rest House)
  • Address YamanashiNarusawa-mura, Minamitsuru-gun MAP
  • Direction From Kawaguchiko Station, take the Fuji Kyuko Bus bound for Motosuko Rest House (approx. 25 min.), alight at Momijidai Iriguchi and get off at Momijidai Iriguchi (approx. 40 min.).
  • TEL 0555-85-2312（Narusawa Village Office)
  • Parking Use the Momijidai Rest House Parking Lot and Momijidai Drive-in Parking Lot.

Fuji," Osamu Dazai's novel "Fugaku hyakkei" was set in Tenka-jaya, which was established in 1934. Fuji in front of the restaurant. Many literary figures, including Masuji Ibushi and Osamu Dazai, visited the restaurant. Dazai, among others, is said to have stayed at the store for about three months to write "One Hundred Views of Mt. If you stand in front of the restaurant, you can fully enjoy the magnificent autumn view of the autumn leaves of the mountains and Lake Kawaguchi in the foreground, and the broad foot of Mt.
The restaurant's specialty is houtou-nabe, which Dazai also tasted. The homemade wide noodles and plenty of vegetables are stewed in a miso-based hot pot that warms the body to the core. After enjoying your meal, be sure to visit the Osamu Dazai Literature Memorial Museum on the second floor of the restaurant. The room where Dazai stayed has been restored and is furnished with the desk and brazier that he used in those days.

Best time to visit: Usually from mid-October to early November.
Cherry trees, maple trees, Nanakamado (Japanese ash), Oak trees, etc.

Tenka-jaya Tea House
  • Address YamanashiFujikawaguchiko Town, Minamitsuru-gunKawaguchi2739 MAP
  • Direction From Kawaguchiko Station on the Fuji Kyuko Line, take the Fujikyu Bus bound for Tenkaichaya (about 30 minutes) and get off at the last stop.
  • Hours of operation 10:00-17:00 *Subject to change
  • Regular holidays No holidays
    *Sometimes closed during the winter due to weather conditions.
  • TEL 0555-76-6659
  • Parking Free of charge

The Kachikachiyama Ropeway, which has been popular for more than half a century, reopened with a new name in April 2018. It connects Kawaguchiko Kohan Station to Fujimidai Station at the summit of Tenjozan. As the gondola leaves from the foot of the mountain and gains altitude, Lake Kawaguchi spreads out below you, and you can enjoy the view of maple leaves and other autumnal foliage framing the lakeside. When you reach the summit, go to the observatory first. The panoramic view of Mt. Fuji, with its beautiful gradation from the snow-covered summit to the autumn-colored hem of the mountain, is a sight that must be seen at least once.
Also, don't miss the "Heavenly Bell," a power spot located near the observatory. It is said that ringing the bell brings blessings for love and family safety. Other unique spots include the "Rabbit Shrine," whose deity is a rabbit and which has "guardian rabbits," and the "Kawaranage (straw throwing)," where visitors can make various wishes to the gods of Tenjozan.

Best time to visit: Late October to early November
Kind of foliage】Forest maples, etc.

Kawaguchiko - Mt. Fuji Panorama Ropeway
  • Address YamanashiFujikawaguchiko Town, Minamitsuru-gun, Fuji1163-1 Asakawa MAP
  • Direction Approximately 12 minutes on foot from Kawaguchiko Station (Fuji Kyuko Line).
  • Business hours 8:30 - 17:00 (last time off at 17:20)
    July 20-August 31: 8:30-18:00 (last bus down at 18:20)
    *Subject to change during peak season such as consecutive holidays, Bon holidays, and year-end and New Year holidays. Please check the official website for details.
  • Closed Open all year round (closed in case of bad weather)
  • Admission Fee Junior high school students and older: 600 yen one-way, 1,000 yen round-trip / Elementary school students: 300 yen one-way, 500 yen round-trip
    Up to 1 child under elementary school age is free per adult.
  • TEL 0555-72-0363
  • Parking Free (Free parking is also available at the prefectural parking lot near Kohan Station)

There used to be a district called "Neba" along the shores of Lake Saiko, where houses with thatched roofs lined the shore with Fuji in the background. Fuji in the background. However, the typhoon disaster in 1966 made the appearance of these houses a thing of the past. The Nishiko Iyashi no Sato Neba revived such a village of thatch-roofed houses, which can be said to be the original landscape of Japan.
Today, as many as 20 thatch-roofed buildings are scattered throughout the village, and they are used as stores where visitors can enjoy handmade experiences, Dining Areas, and stores selling locally produced goods. In autumn, maple, ginkgo, and doudan trees adorn the area around the houses, and the view of the thatch-roofed houses and the autumn leaves is truly "satoyama autumn. A leisurely stroll along the boardwalk will bring back memories of the past.

Best time to visit: Usually from late October to mid-November.
Types of Autumn Foliage】Momiji, Ginkgo, Doudan, etc.

Nishiko Healing Village Neba
  • Address YamanashiFujikawaguchiko Town, Minamitsuru-gunNishiko Neba2710 MAP
  • Direction Approximately 40 minutes by Retro Bus from Kawaguchiko Station (Fuji Kyuko Line) to "Nishiko Iyashi no Sato Neba" stop.
  • Hours of operation March-November: 9:00-17:00
    December - February: 9:30 - 16:30
    Last admission 30 minutes before each visit
  • Regular holidays Open daily (with occasional closures)
  • Admission Fee 500 yen, 250 yen for elementary and junior high school students
  • TEL 0555-20-4677
  • Parking Free of charge

Surrounded by the Aokigahara Sea of Trees, "Saiko Wild Bird Forest Park" is, as its name suggests, a treasure trove of wild birds. About 60 species of wild birds, including mountain trumpeters, great white-fronted tits, and white-eyes, live in the park, and as many as 150 species of wild birds have been confirmed to fly in and out of the park. The park's Jukai Gallery has a "bird-watching room" equipped with a telescope, making it easy for visitors to observe wild birds even if they come empty-handed.
The park's vast lawn area and forest walking paths are also places of relaxation where visitors can enjoy the scenery of the four seasons. In the fall, maple trees, birch trees, Japanese white ash, and azalea azaleas all turn red, and the view of Mt.
Visitors can enjoy the true joy of nature in autumn, strolling through the forest of autumn leaves with the chirping of birds as background music and watching the lovely sight of wild birds.

Best time to visit: Usually from late October to mid-November.
Kinds of autumn foliage: beech, oak, maple, Japanese maple, white birch, etc.

Nishiko Wild Bird Forest Park
  • Address YamanashiFujikawaguchiko Town, Minamitsuru-gun2068 MAP
  • Direction Approximately 40 minutes by bus from Kawaguchiko Station (Fuji Kyuko Line) to Nishiko Wild Bird Park (Nishiko Wild Bird Forest Park).
  • Hours of operation Jukai Gallery 9:00-17:00
  • Regular holidays Jukai Gallery Thursdays
  • Admission Fee Free of charge
  • TEL 0555-82-2160
  • Parking Free of charge

MAP

Hoshino Resorts facilities nearby
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The information in this article is current as of the date of the update. Please check before visiting as they are subject to change.