Fuji Five Lakes

This small but gorgeous museum on the northeast shore of Lake Kawaguchi was designed by Itchiku Kubota himself - one of the most famous kimono designers in Japan. Kubota's life work was reinventing the lost dyework technique of tsujigahana, a technique used heavily in Muromachi-period kimono and subsequently lost to time. The museum houses the results of the incredible series of tsujigahana kimono he designed and made, known as the "Symphony of Light"; each kimono is designed to show a picture flowing from the back of one kimono to the next. The museum also features two different tea shops, one Western style, one Japanese style, that make a nice break in the sightseeing day. The grounds of the museum are an artwork themselves, with a stylised entranceway in the shape of a lone-standing doorframe in the forest. To get there, take the Retro Bus and ask the driver to let you off at the Kubota museum. Walk several steps in the direction away from the lake, and you'll see signs. The museum is off to the left in the woods, just another minute's walk, surrounded by beautiful gardens.

In autumn, the beautiful orange and yellow tones of changing leaves ("momiji") are beautiful, and there is also a nice view on the lake and the mount Fuji.

Oshino Hakkai is a group of eight clear spring-fed ponds in Oshino village, between Lake Yamanaka and Lake Kawaguchi at the foot of Mount Fuji. The ponds are fed by snowmelt filtered through the mountain's volcanic rock, a process that can take decades. Considered sacred in traditional Fuji worship, they were once used by pilgrims for ritual purification before climbing the mountain. The village has traditional houses, waterwheels and views of Mount Fuji on clear days, although the ponds can be crowded with tour groups.

One of Japan's largest amusement parks and home to Fujiyama (1996), briefly the world's tallest rollercoaster, and Dodonpa (2001), briefly the world's fastest.

Modeled on Japanese traditional warship, this boat runs frequent 20-minute sightseeing rides on Lake Kawaguchi during the day. A bit pricey for such a short ride, but the views of Fuji are excellent, and it's a good chance to see more of the lake. The ship is equipped with a 50-inch monitor for a rainy day!

The hiking time is 3 hours there and 3 hours back. The path is fairly well maintained.