Best ways to experience Mt Fuji
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From a ferry trip with uninterrupted views to a brand-new architect-designed observatory.
Mt Fuji is big. Really, exceptionally big. Big enough to see
from Tokyo, over 100 kilometres away; even its foothills span
two prefectures. But its influence over Japan stretches way past
its mere size. That perfect volcanic cone features everywhere in
Japanese folklore and has over the millennia, been recreated in
everything from cakes and seasonal sweets to soap, towels, toys,
even cartoon-character mountains that enter the national
subconscious from an early age. So we really think turning up on
a bus, taking a quick pic from a lookout on a day trip from
Tokyo and heading home again does not do the mighty Fuji-san
nearly enough justice – nor the mind-blowingly beautiful and
fascinating surrounds that count Fuji as an ever-present part of
the scenery. So here we have eight amazing ways to give Fuji-san
the love it deserves, and make your trip to central Japan
something special too.
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1
Cross Mishima Skywalk suspension bridgeMishima Skywalk
Gaze upon it from Japan’s longest pedestrian suspension bridge, the fabulously engineered, 400-metre-long Skywalk.
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This thing sways in the wind over a forest gorge in the most
picturesque of locations, so the views should stop you looking
down. You can also catch sight of Japan’s deepest bay, Suruga Bay,
forming a suitably spectacular spot with photo stops galore.
2
Hang upside down on top of a mountain – or simply soak
your feetIzunokuni
The Japanese really know how to live, with thoughtful ways to make visitors happy every step along their sightseeing route.
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Atop the mountain at Izunokuni Panorama Park (you can guess the
main star of the panorama here), you can not only gaze across an
incredible vista that stretches from bay to hills to forests to
the star of the show, Fuji, but your mini ninjas can choose to do
it from the cute obstacle play course set right here on the
mountaintop, while you can get your shoes and socks off and
blithely sit with your tootsies in a steaming bath, right here out
in the open, while you enjoy and photograph the view.
3
Drink craft beer made from Fuji’s 100-year-old
snowmeltNumazu
The respect the Japanese hold for Fuji-san does not end with the mountain itself.
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That snowy peak basks in the sun, slowly melting into the purest
of water, which then soaks into the volcanic earth itself and is
filtered over and over again before finally emerging, a century
later, into the streams and waterways around the region. This
water is rather reverently used for such purposes as nourishing
the finest (and therefore most delicious) of eel, helping to
produce breathtakingly expensive tofu, and also highly prized
sake. Over at Baird Brewing Company near Numazu, however, they’ve
come up with a more novel way of tasting the snow that melted at
the end of the First World War, give or take. The range of
specialty craft beers do indeed taste rather crystalline in their
clarity, and visiting the forest-bound brewery to sample them is
worth the trip.
4
Take a golf-buggy ride to a fairway with a viewShuzenji
The luxe Izu Marriott Shuzenji, deer-speckled golf course is also perfectly positioned for maximum vistas.
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Guests can even jump in the driverless electric golf buggies for a
spin around the course at sunset to watch Fuji-san’s western face
turn golden, forming a heart-melting backdrop as dusk brings the
resort’s antlered wildlife out to reclaim the golf course for
another evening.
5
Take a holographic tour at brand-new Yume TerraceNihondaira P.A
In Shizuoka Prefecture, his dreamy, octagonal observatory and deck is making a name for itself in its own right.
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Nihondaira Yume Terrace, fashioned from local cedar and swathes of
glass, is a quiet, mindful space seemingly a world away from the
busier lookouts and decks closer to Mt Fuji, and inside are
ultramodern displays using everything from stained glass to
holographs to detail the story of Mt Fuji’s formation.
6
Rise early for seafood breakfast with the clearest
viewSuruga-kuyakusho
A whole lot more hectic is Japan’s second-busiest seafood markets, the Numazu Fish Market on deep Suruga Bay.
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As the 5am markets heat up inside, the sunlight strengthens
outside to reveal Fuji-san reflected in the waters and dominating
the view, though the workers around you may continue to bustle
from boat to bobcat, auction room to loading dock. Charm your way
as close as you dare to espy the three-metre Suruga Bay spider
crabs, giant deep-water fish and tuna, down to the tiny baby
mackerel and whitebait that typify traditional breakfasts around
here. Head to any of the restaurants in the surrounding streets
for a bowl overflowing with fresh seafood – as raw as you dare –
for a breakfast you won’t forget.
7
Ride the rainbow ferry across incredible Suruga BayShimizu-cho
The high-speed ferry across Suruga Bay from Toi to Shimizu may well be one of the most underrated experiences in the area.
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The deep waters beneath make the surface mirror-still, there are
fresh seafood sticks and sweet buns being grilled out on the back
deck, and even the ferry itself is daubed with a rainbow to make
the experience as lovely as possible. And of course, watching over
you for the 65-minute journey is Mt Fuji, in an uninterrupted view
across the water to rival any lookout you can name.
8
Stay at the hotel with Fuji in every windowNihondaira P.A
Gazing remarkably close-up upon perhaps Asia’s most famous mount.
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The hotel doesn’t even pretend to want anything else for its
guests, with Fuji-facing rooms enjoying uninterrupted views across
a flat landscaped garden, and multi-storey floor-to-ceiling
windows spanning almost every public space in the hotel so you can
breakfast, lunch and (yummy fine French) dinner with Fuji-san
himself.
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