Mt. Fuji is a major landmark in Japan, and most visitors hope to catch a glimpse if they are in the vicinity. But Mt. Fuji is notoriously shy. Due to persistent cloud cover, the mountain is only visible for 80 days per year, most of them in the winter months. Seeing Mt. Fuji in summer takes a little bit of strategy and a whole lot of luck. Here is how to see Mt. Fuji in summer – 5 ways we tried to catch a glimpse on our August trip.
How to see Mt. Fuji: what are the odds?
At almost 3800m tall, Mt. Fuji is the tallest mountain in Japan. Its symmetrical cone slopes up from the surrounding landscape in an Instagram-worthy fashion.
Visibility is best in December and January, when the evaporation that leads to intense cloud cover is at its lowest. During the winter months, the mountain is even more picturesque, usually being capped by snow. (The snow typically lasts from November to May.) Dry winter air also limits haze and enhances the view.
The mountain is rarely visible in the summer months, between April and August. It’s also difficult to spot it during the typhoon months of September and October.
Time of day also matters. The mountain is most visible during the morning hours, from 7-10 a.m. As the day progresses, clouds tend to roll in and obscure at least part of the view.
Here is a great article that presents some statistical information about the likelihood of seeing Mt. Fuji throughout the year.
How to see Mt. Fuji in summer: 5 ways
See Mt. Fuji from Tokyo Skytree
Mt. Fuji is visible from Tokyo on a clear day. A trip up Tokyo Skytree, Japan’s tallest structure, will place you up to 450m above street level. 360-degree panoramic windows offer views over all of Tokyo, including toward Mt. Fuji, which is 90km southwest of the city center.
We visited in August and had 11 a.m. timed entry tickets to Skytree. We weren’t holding our breath – we knew we were visiting at the wrong time of year, and the wrong time of day, too. And we were shut out. Mt. Fuji was completely clouded over during our visit.
Skytree is open from 10 a.m. until 10 p.m., with the last admission being at 9 p.m. A same-day ticket that will allow you to explore both the Tembo Galleria (at 450m) as well as the Tembo Deck (350m) is ¥3,100. Discounts are available for youth and children, as well as for tickets purchased online in advance, and prices are higher on holidays. There are several different ticket options including access to one or both platforms. There are also combination tickets offering discounted admission to other Tokyo attractions such as aquariums, planetariums, and the TeamLab Borderless digital museum. Check the Tokyo Skytree website for details.
Other good vantage points within Tokyo city limits include the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building. A trip up to one of the observation decks on the 45th floor is free. The building is open from 9:30 a.m. until 10 p.m. Or, if you are flying through Haneda Airport, it also has mountain views. Mt. Fuji can be seen from Terminal 1 on the 6th floor or from the rooftop observation decks in Terminal 3.
See Mt. Fuji from Mishima Skywalk
The Mishima Skywalk is Japan’s longest pedestrian suspension bridge, totaling 400m in length. It spans a valley on the southwestern rim of the Mount Hakone caldera.
If you take the JR Line from Tokyo to Kyoto, as many visitors do, you will pass right through Mishima. You can book your ticket to include a layover and hop off the train for a few hours to try your luck spotting Mt. Fuji.
Our train pulled into Mishima Station around 10 a.m. We took a taxi from Mishima Station to Mishima Skywalk, which cost about ¥5000. The day was overcast so again, we didn’t expect too much. We pulled up to the Skywalk, purchased our tickets at the entrance booth (¥1000 for adults/¥450 for students), and headed out to the bridge. As expected, Mt. Fuji was covered by clouds. However, we did have a lovely view over Suruga Bay.
We crossed the bridge, explored the shops, admired the blue hydrangeas covering the hillside, and tried Mishima’s famous blue milk-flavoured ice cream. There are lots of activities on-site for those who wish to participate – a zipline, Segway rides, animal exhibits, and more. We declined these, rode back to the train station on the Tokai Orange shuttle bus, and caught our onward train to Kyoto.
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See Mt. Fuji from the Shinkansen
You don’t necessarily need a stopover to see Mt. Fuji on a train journey. Many people simply see the mountain from their moving train. Mt. Fuji can be seen from the Tokaido Shinkansen between Tokyo and Osaka. When coming from Tokyo, the mountain is on the right side of the train and is best viewed around Shin-Fuji Station, about 40-45 minutes into the journey. (This is the next stop after Mishima Station.)
As for us, we were unable to spot the mountain from the train on either our outward journey to Kyoto, or our return trip to Tokyo. Clouds persisted on both legs of our journey.
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See Mt. Fuji from Tokyo Bay
We spent part of our trip at Tokyo Disneyland, and for our stay there we booked into the Hilton Tokyo Bay. The advantages to staying here are that it’s an official Tokyo Disney Resort Hotel, but is easier to book into than the Disney-branded properties – and, that it offers Mt. Fuji views. We were lucky to get a bay-view room, and hoped that we’d sneak a peek of the mountain in the early mornings, before we set out for the day. Alas, it wasn’t meant to be. We never saw more than a conical cloud formation across the bay.
You don’t have to stay at the Hilton Tokyo Bay to see Mt. Fuji from the Tokyo Bay area. You can also try to catch a glimpse from Wakasu Seaside Park.
How to see Mt. Fuji in summer: Hakone
If you are determined to see Mt. Fuji, there are 2 popular destinations that most visitors flock to in order to maximize their chances of success. Those 2 areas are the Fuji Five Lakes (which we did not see) and Hakone.
Hakone is a popular getaway destination outside of Tokyo. There’s some beautiful natural scenery, including mountains, lakes, and forests. There are also attractions of cultural significance, such as the Hakone Shrine, which features a torii gate floating in Lake Ashinoko. A tourist route called the Hakone Loop (or Hakone Round Course) takes visitors around the region on 5 modes of transportation: bus, boat, ropeway, cable car, and train.
From Tokyo, we took the Shinkansen to Odawara Station, followed by a bus to Lake Ashinoko. Next, we crossed the lake in a pirate ship. This leg of the journey would have afforded stunning views of Mt. Fuji had it been visible – unfortunately, it was clouded over. After leaving the ship, we immediately entered the ropeway station that took us up to Owakudani or ‘Hell Valley’ – an area simmering with volcanic activity. Steam escapes vents on the hillsides, and also cooks Tamago, the local hard-boiled egg specialty. The eggs turn black from the sulphur, and eating one is said to increase your lifespan by 7 years.
It was here, during a snack break, that the clouds finally parted, and we got a look at Mt. Fuji – after 12 days in Japan and having invested in 5 different tricks to see it!
In order to circumnavigate the Hakone Loop, a Hakone Freepass ticket is required. It allows unlimited use of all transportation in the area.
In conclusion…
I hope this gives you some ideas for how to see Mt. Fuji in summer. It’s a bit of an uphill battle, but you can strategically make travel choices that maximize your opportunities to see the mountain. You’ll also need a bit of luck, but it’s definitely possible.
