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Tokyo to Mount Fuji Road trip was one of the biggest highlights of our vacation in Japan in December 2023. Our vacation in Japan was very different from many other vacations, because as a country Japan is so different from many other countries. With its rich and proud culture, discipline and cleanliness, this beautiful country has so many things to admire at. We landed in Tokyo on 23rd of December flying straight from Chicago by Japan Airlines and picked Tokyo Marriott Hotel for our stay in Tokyo. It’s a very nice property and close to central Tokyo attractions. Morning buffet breakfast was something our teenage daughters enjoyed the most in the hotel.
Tokyo to Mount Fuji Road Trip
Initial 2 days we spent touring various attractions in and around Tokyo and decided to go to Mt Fuji n 26th December. For the Mt Fuji trip, we wanted to go by road and opted for Mt. Fuji Private Tour by Car with Pick-up from Tokyo. Our guide Mohammad was Pakistani national who had settled in Japan for last five years. He was very courteous and knowledgeable and fluent in Urdu and Hindi languages. We had lot of fun on our way to Mt Fuji, as we keep talking on various topics about India, Pakistan, Japan and USA
Tokyo to Mount Fuji is around 110 kilometers and took around 2 hours of time. We had started around 8 AM in the morning and stopped in between at one of travel plaza to get some coffee and refreshments. We reached Mount Fuji 5th Station at around 10:30 AM and after parking the car we walked around to some good views of Mount Fuji. It was very windy although sun was out, it was cold.
Mt. Fuji 5th Station
The Fuji Subaru Line 5th Station also known as Yoshidaguchi 5th Station is the most popular and accessible 5th station on Mount Fuji. It offers stunning views of the Fuji Five Lakes area and serves as a starting point for climbers on the Yoshida Trail. Parking lot there has ample space for cars and buses and also there are shops and shrines that you can visit apart from taking some stunning pictures of Mount Fuji.
We spent almost 2 hours at Mt Fuji 5th Station and walked around different directions to capture natural beauty there. Because of the wind and cold we did not go too far on the trails and kept ourselves close to shrine and the shops area.
Arakura Fuji Sengen Jinja Shrine
After spending an hour or two at Mt Fuji summit we drove towards Arakura Arakurayama Sengen park. Arakura Fuji Sengen-jinja Shrine and its pagoda sit proudly in beautiful Arakurayama Sengen Park. We parked our car in nearby parking and after that it was good 15 minutes walk, to go to the shrine and then climb all the steps to reach Chureito pagoda.
Chureito Pagoda
The Chureito Pagoda, is a five storied pagoda on the mountainside overlooking Fujiyoshida City and Mount Fuji off in the distance. The pagoda is part of the Arakura Sengen Shrine and was built as a peace memorial in 1963 nearly 400 steps up the mountain from the shrine’s main buildings. This is one of the best place to take pictures of Mt Fuji, and also one of the most photographed places you will come across when you look at Japan tourism sites.
Oshino Hakkai
After spending almost an hour at Mt Fuji summit, we went to visit Oshino Hakkai. This small village is filled with eight scenic ponds and offers many gorgeous sights to capture. We walked around the beautiful pathways and enjoyed the peaceful ambience. Along the way and around the ponds, there were various local vendors selling tasty snacks and drinks.
Lake Kawaguchiko
Lake Kawaguchiko is another nice tourist spot that we went to. By this time, we were really hungry, and our driver took us to a local restaurant that had some great curries and naans. We had good lunch there and later spent time walking around the lake. By this time, sun was fully out and it was comparatively warm to walk outside.
By the time we complete our walk around this beautiful lake it was almost 5 PM and it had started getting cloudy again. We decided not to go to any other place and drive back to Tokyo. Driving back, we kept on looking at various small towns and shrines on the way and appreciating the calm and peaceful environment far from the neon lights and crowds of central Tokyo.
By the time we entered Tokyo metropolis it was dark and around 8 PM, so instead of going back to hotel, we asked our driver to drop us at Shibuya Crossing. This place is sprawling scramble intersection just outside Shibuya Station, is an embodiment of Tokyo itself: action in all directions, neon lights, busy restaurants and shops, thousands of people and cars, everything in perfect harmony, something you will love and cherish about Tokyo. 
