Mount Fuji from Lake Shoji

An Iconic View of Japan's Sacred Peak

This camera captures one of the most revered panoramas in Japan: Mount Fuji (Fuji-san), the country's highest mountain at 3,776 metres, seen across Lake Shoji (Shojiko). The view belongs to a designated UNESCO World Heritage cultural landscape that has inspired artists and pilgrims for centuries.

The Smallest of the Fuji Five Lakes

Lake Shoji is the most compact of the Fujigoko (Fuji Five Lakes) and the quietest, framed by the dense woodland at the edge of the Aokigahara forest. Its sheltered, glassy surface makes it a celebrated spot for the reflected Sakasa-Fuji, the inverted mountain image prized by photographers.

The Child-Cradling Fuji

A distinctive feature of this vantage is the smaller Mount Omuro standing directly before the main cone. Together they create the affectionate Kodaki-Fuji (“child-cradling Fuji”) silhouette, a composition unique to the Lake Shoji shoreline and a favourite of landscape painters.

Visiting Fujikawaguchiko and Yamanashi

The lake sits within the town of Fujikawaguchiko in the Yamanashi prefecture, part of the Fuji-Hakone-Izu National Park. The surrounding shores offer tranquil walking trails, campsites and fishing spots, making this one of the most serene viewpoints from which to contemplate Japan's most beloved mountain.