Mount Fuji — The Symbol of Japan
Hidden Fuji Signature Experience

Mount Fuji — The Symbol of Japan

The land of lakes, forests, and villages at the foot of the sacred Mount Fuji

  • Duration: 10 hours (start at 9:00)
  • Price: On request
  • Departure: Departure and arrival at Tokyo hotels

Overview

Saiko, one of the Fuji Five Lakes, is a picturesque lake surrounded by mountains, where time flows slowly at the foot of Mount Fuji. At "Saiko Iyashi-no-Sato Nenba," located on its shore, you can enjoy an authentic Japanese landscape, where thatched-roof houses harmonize with nature.

 

At the Kubota Itchiku Art Museum, immerse yourself in the world of "Itchiku Tsujigahana" and the unfinished series "Symphony of Light." Discover the profound beauty of dyeing art in a space embraced by the nature of Mount Fuji. Conclude your journey with a visit to the Fifth Station of the Fuji Subaru Line at an altitude of about 2,300 meters. Savor the moment to fully experience the grandeur and tranquility of Mount Fuji, where mountains and sky merge as one.

 

Itinerary: Tokyo Hotel → Lake Saiko → Iyashi-no-Sato → Kubota Itchiku Art Museum → Fifth Station of Mount Fuji → Tokyo Hotel

Key Features

  1. Village Iyashi-no-Sato — Nenba Village, destroyed by a typhoon in 1966, was restored in 2006—there are about 20 thatched-roof houses here. The distinctive kabuto-style roofs and views of Fuji recreate rural life.
  2. Lake Sai — At an altitude of 900 meters, this is one of the least developed lakes among the Fuji Five Lakes. Views of Mount Fuji open from the western shore, where the tranquil water surface harmonizes with the Aokigahara Forest.
  3. Lava landscapes — The lava flow from the Jōgan eruption of 864 gave rise to the Aokigahara Forest, known as the Sea of Trees. Here, one can come closest to experiencing the geological history of Mount Fuji.
  4. The World of "Tsujigahana" — A space personally designed by Ichiku Kubota, who single-handedly revived the legendary dyeing technique lost since the Muromachi period. This museum has been awarded three stars in the Michelin Green Guide.
  5. Symphony of Light — Conceived as a collection of 80 works—a lifelong masterpiece by Itchiku, depicting the four seasons, the universe, and Mount Fuji as a single scroll-canvas. The pyramid is supported by beams made from thousand-year-old trees.
  6. Sacred Mountain Energy — The final point of the road (2,300 m) ascending the northern foothills of Mount Fuji. Since ancient times, Fuji has been an object of worship, and climbing to the summit symbolized spiritual renewal.

Itinerary

Day 1 — A Journey through the Foothills of Fuji

A Day Tracing the Serenity of the Northern Foothills

  • 9:00 Departure from the hotel in Tokyo
    Your personal guide and driver will meet you in the hotel lobby. You will depart for the Fuji Five Lakes area (approximately 2 hours).
  • 11:00 Saiko Iyashi-no-Sato
    Take a leisurely stroll through the village with thatched roofs, quietly nestled on the northwestern shore of the lake. Each of the 20 houses hosts workshops, small museums, or exhibition halls where you can observe local artisans at work in ceramics, fabric dyeing, and traditional Japanese papermaking. Upon request, we will arrange exclusive experiences for you: kimono fitting, calligraphy, tea ceremony, or papermaking.
  • 12:30 Kubota Itchiku Art Museum
    You will visit a museum designed by the master himself. Stroll through the garden, explore the gallery adorned with Ryukyuan limestone in a style inspired by Gaudí, and enter the main building—a wooden hall in the shape of a pyramid, 13 meters high, supported by sixteen beams made from 1,000-year-old hiba trees from Aomori. Here you can view the current works on display from the “Symphony of Light” series (the collection is updated seasonally). Enjoy matcha in the tearoom at the back of the main building, which once served as Kubota’s workshop.
  • 13:30 Lunch by Lake Kawaguchi
    We offer seasonal Japanese cuisine in restaurants with magnificent views of Lake Kawaguchi. The menu features local delicacies such as Yamanashi wine, Shingen chicken, Koshu beef, and homemade soba noodles prepared with spring water from Mount Fuji. Upon request, options include lava stone grill, kaiseki, and wine pairings.
  • 15:00 Mount Fuji (5th Station)
    You will ascend the Fuji Subaru Line road to the Fifth Station (at an altitude of about 2,300 m). This road, opened in 1964, is accessible almost year-round, except during snowy winters and the climbing season (from early July to early September, when private vehicle traffic is restricted). At the Fifth Station, you can visit a shrine, stroll around the observatory overlooking the Fuji Five Lakes, and enjoy the unique atmosphere of the highlands. *Please note: Depending on weather and road conditions, the destination may be changed to a lower altitude or the ascent may be canceled.
  • 16:30 Departure to Tokyo
    Descent from Mount Fuji and transfer to Tokyo (approximately 2.5 hours).
  • 19:00 Hotel Tokyo
    Return to the Tokyo hotel. Leisure time.

Additional options

 

  • Helicopter tour around Mt. Fuji
  • Private winery visit
  • Excursion to Asama Sengen Shrine
  • Private boat ride on Lake Saiko
  • Forest walk at the foot of Mt. Fuji
  • Paragliding with views of Mt. Fuji
  • Visit to a tea plantation with views of Mt. Fuji

UNFINISHED LIGHT

Itchiku Kubota and Tsujigahana

At the age of twenty, Itchiku saw a fragment of fabric at the National Museum of Tokyo. Tsujigahana, which flourished in the Muromachi era and disappeared at the beginning of the Edo period, was a dyeing technique shrouded in mystery—its true form known to no one, a phantom art. Instead of merely restoring it, he decided to revive the technique. Forty years passed from that decision to its completion. At sixty, he named it after himself—“Itchiku Tsujigahana”—and presented it to the world.

 

At seventy, he began his final cycle—“Kokyo.” His vision was to unite Japan’s four seasons in a single composition of eighty kimono, with Mount Fuji at the center. In 2003, leaving twenty-nine kimono unfinished, Itchiku passed away. The Fuji cycle remained incomplete.

 

In the museum on the shore of Lake Kawaguchi, you see the very Fuji the master wished to reveal. Instead of pigments, its colors are changed daily by clouds and light. Here, its incompleteness seems a special form of completion.

Practical Information

Start time / Duration
9:00 / 10 hours
Included in the price
- Transfer by private car
- Accompaniment by a professional guide
- Entrance tickets

*Please note that meals and additional options are not included in the tour price.