Mt Fuji hunting in Gotemba
Gotemba is a city that sits to the south east of Mt Fuji. This makes this city a perfect location to explore and see views of Mt Fuji.
Mt Fuji is one of the most iconic natural landmarks in Japan, sitting at a height of 3,776 metres tall, it is also the tallest. You might even be able to sneak a glace of the mountain on the shinkansen if you’re lucky enough for the weather to be on your side.
Day trip to Gotemba. Views of Mt. Fuji?
Whilst in Tokyo, we waited for a nice and clear day to take a day trip out in hopes to catch that perfect view of Mt Fuji.
Throughout the week we were, 1. constantly checking the weather throughout the week. 2. planning on where to go and how to get there and finally the morning of our outing we checked the Mt Fuji Webcam here to see if Mt Fuji was visible.
On the day, everything was working in our favour. Sun was shining, Mt Fuji was in sight and we were on our way. Grabbing some rice dishes from Lawsons for breakfast, we then hopped onto a train to Gotemba.
If you’re looking at purchasing the JR pass check out my link here*. *This is an affiliate link
The JR Pass Facts
- The JR pass is designed for tourist only so you will need to validate the JR pass purchase with your passport
- There are five Tokyo railway lines that you can use with a JR Pass.
- You can purchase your JR pass online before you travel but you’ll then need to pick this up at a main Station.
A Sneak Peak of Mt Fuji
From central Tokyo, we took the JR train to >> Numazu Station, and from there take a local train to >> Gotemba Station.
On the local train, we actually managed to see the snowy peak rising from the mountains. We took a few photos and were excited about the views we were going to get throughout the day.
2 hours later, we arrived at Gotemba Station. From there, the free shuttle bus took us straight to the Gotemba Premium Outlet. Gotemba Outlet is on a slight hill so thought it was an ideal location for a view of the mountain. Unfortunately for us, it was cloudy and Mt Fuji was no longer in sight.
Gotemba Premium Outlets
Whilst at the outlet we decided to stop for lunch, dessert and do some window shopping.
Gotemba Premium Outlet is huge! It holds over 200 stores and is composed of what I’d like to say about 2 islands. It also has a bridge linking the islands together. I did enjoy our time here, it was spacious and peaceful even without the view we were looking for.
Fuji Bussharito Heiwa Park
From Gomteba Premium Outlet, we took a short bus ride to the Fuji Bussharito Heiwa Park.
If you’re looking for a nice walk around I’ll definitely recommend a visit. Access to the park is not the easiest since you will either have to rent/call a taxi or take the bus which is not frequent.
We walked up to a wide path, lined with stone lanterns on both sides. This then led us to this beautiful and uniquely white pagoda.
A secret Japanese Garden?
On our way back down from the white Pogada, we noticed a small entrance. This led us into a beautiful small Japanese garden with a pond that had koi fish in.
On a hut to the side of the garden had a little stand where you can purchase fish food or pigeon food to feed the wildlife. So if you’re visiting the Fuji Bussharito Heiwa Park definitely check this garden out.
Overall
I really enjoyed our time in Gomtemba and it would have been great for views of Mt Fuji if it wasn’t cloudy.
Other places for views of Mt Fuji
If you’re looking for other places for a view of Mt Fuji – I would try going to the Chureito Pagoda. It is a bit more difficult to get to but it will be worth it for the view.
For other guides on other places you can visit for views of Mt Fuji you can find here:
- https://www.japan.travel/en/spot/2046/
- https://www.timeout.com/tokyo/things-to-do/where-to-get-the-best-views-of-mount-fuji
Thank you for reading and see you next time.
