Waking up to the beautiful view of Japan's iconic Mount Fuji filling up your hotel window is an experience that can't be fully described in words. With Japan's Go To Travel campaign in full swing, it's never been cheaper to sample the high-life and treat yourself to a little luxury while you're traveling. At just over a two-hour drive from Tokyo, Lake Kawaguchi and the surrounding area offer an alluring break from the capital.
For a holiday you'll never forget in Japan, here are some of the most picturesque hotels, some of which include stunning unobstructed views of Mt Fuji right from your hotel room.
Kozantei Ubuya
Sitting on the banks of Lake Kawaguchi, Kozantei Ubuya is known for its stunning spacious Japanese style rooms with a private outdoor bath or rotenburo included. Make sure to book at least two months in advance and even longer for weekend trips. The kaiseki, traditional Japanese meals, served here are always delicious, using high quality local ingredients made by a team of highly-skilled chefs. Set meals usually feature high-end dishes like A5 wagyu beef and abalone.
As one of the best hotels you can stay at in Japan, to experience their amazing service, culinary offerings and modern aesthetics doesn't come cheap. Rooms go from around ¥30,800 yen for the basic option for two people during midweek stays. For the beautiful rooms with an outside bath included, expect to pay about ¥38,000 for midweek and ¥55,000 at the weekend. Due to recent popularity from the Go to Travel campaign, weekends are currently completely booked up at Ubuya for the next few months.
Address: 10 Azagawa, Fujikawaguchiko, Minamitsuru Bezirk, Yamanashi 401-0303, Japan
Website: https://www.ubuya.co.jp/
Fujikawaguchiko Onsen Konanso
Another of Kawaguchiko's stunning luxury onsen hotels, Konanso is pretty similar to Ubuya with incredible views from their private outdoor onsen baths in the rooms. As a traditional Japanese inn or ryokan, the service here is impeccable and never fails to impress. Konanso also doesn't see as many foreign tourists, a number of their staff don't speak much English apart from basic communication. However this is often the case in Japan, especially outside of Tokyo.
Offering similar features and views to that of Ubuya, if the former is already booked, try seeing if Konanso has available dates for your trip.
Address: 4020-2 Funatsu, Fujikawaguchiko, Minamitsuru Bezirk, Yamanashi, Japan
Phone: +81 555-72-2166
Website: https://www.konansou.com/eng/
Kasuitei Ooya
If you're trying to stick somewhat to a budget, Kasuitei Ooya offers similarly impressive views from their rooms with outside hot spring baths included. all for a slightly lower price point. This 'budget-friendly' luxury hotel is right next to the lake, with rooms that include private hot spring baths on the balcony. Prices usually fall just under ¥20,000 for a two person room. Note that most of the rooms here however face the lake instead of Mount Fuji which is the opposite way. The scenery is still excellent however.
THE GARDEN
Rooms at THE GARDEN are quite minimalist and basic, but miss out nothing in terms of luxury and scenery. The hotel is not on the banks of the lake like some others in the area, it's much closer to Kawaguchiko Station instead. All rooms have stunning views across to Mt Fuji however, being slightly closer to the mountain.
For groups, consider booking the huge luxury suite room (for four people), the wall to wall glass windows offer some unforgettable views. The suite also has a bath with a glass view in the room along with a dreamlike balcony with incredible vistas.
Hoshinoya Fuji
Hoshino Resorts is well known all over Japan for their beautifully designed luxury hotels. Mount Fuji's local offering is no exception too. The rooms here are stunning, each with a beautiful sweeping vista, designed to make guests feel in touch with nature. In fact Hoshinoya Fuji is not your average luxury resort, it's touted as Japan's first luxury glamping spot. Although it's a far cry from the usual camping style, their cabins are stunning with full ceiling-to-floor windows giving an unparalleled unobstructed view of Mt Fuji.
The resort offers various camping style experiences such as barbequing (or letting the staff cook for you), drinking and enjoying live music by campfires at the Cloud Terrace along with appreciating the nature of the forest it's located in. All while enjoying the comforts a luxury resort would normally offer.
Additional Information
Note that if you're wanting the best views of the mountain, it's recommended to travel during winter time. There's a higher chance of Mount Fuji being cloud free, especially in the morning, during the winter months.
The rainy season around June and July is probably the worst time to go, as Mount Fuji is often covered in clouds for days at a time. Clouds are also frequent in the summer, especially when typhoons are passing by, normally around August and September.