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Fujikawaguchiko, or Kawaguchiko, was just as I imagined it and looked straight out of a postcard. The resort town nestles against the iconic lakes that are foregrounded by the majestic Mount Fuji crowned by its iconic rivulets of snow. I must have spent hours just staring at the view! It’s easy enough to get here on a day trip from Tokyo: you can either take a train from Tokyo all the way to Kawaguchiko Station or take a bus from Shinjuku. But from my personal experience, a day trip is simply not enough. Never mind the hours you’ll spend just mesmerized by the view, there’s just so much to do in and near Kawaguchiko that you’ll regret not staying over for a while!
There are actually five lakes in the region that share their background with Fuji San: Kawaguchiko, Saiko, Shojiko, Motosuko, and Yamanakako. We stayed by the banks of Lake Shojiko, which was the smallest of the five but was in no way less stunning. In fact, I’d say the lake’s your best bet for a true incursion into the natural splendor of the region, especially with the nearby Aokigahara Forest. Even if you just want to spend the day by the banks of the lake, I’d still say staying over is well worth it, especially if you want to enjoy the often-overlooked nighttime views of Fuji San.
Hakone is another popular spot in the area, and tourists usually throng to the town for its iconic setting next to Mount Fuji, and I’d say that’s exactly its problem. The town has got too crowded and a little too mainstream. If you’re someone like me who prefers comparatively unspoiled landscapes, you’ll be better off at Fujikawaguchiko. Shoji Mount Hotel fit perfectly with my ideas of a perfect stay by Mount Fuji. It had amazing views, a great ambiance, Japanese-style rooms, and, most importantly, fit my budget. Here’s my personal review of this beautiful hotel!
My husband and travel partner, Bish, who’s also a passionate traveler, shares his perspective about this hotel and its wonderful photo ops in this exclusive talk with Trip101!
Location
On the lakeside street opposite Shoji Mount Hotel with Fuji San (sadly) hiding behind the clouds.
As you must have guessed already, I prefer non-touristy locations, and Shoji Mount Hotel was as offbeat as they come. It is so out-of-the-way that there is only one bus that passes by this hotel from Kawaguchiko Station, and you better not miss it (we almost did the first time around)!
Honestly, we almost didn’t book this hotel as we were a bit skeptical about reaching this place, and we were also worried about the limited transportation restricting our tours. To make things worse, there wasn’t much information about local transport options online. In the end, we took a chance on the hotel and it was the best decision of our trip!
Our home for a night - Shoji Mount Hotel!
All our misgivings obviously melted away when we got to Shoji Mount Hotel, located bang opposite Lake Shojiko and offering brilliant views of Fuji San! It’s the ideal spot to watch Mount Fuji bedecked by the hues of spectacular sunrises and sunsets. The hotel is also close to great hiking trails, such as the Panorama dai - Lake Shoji trail which leads to a viewpoint on a massif that offers amazing views of the lakes and Mount Fuji. You can also go hiking in the nearby Aokigahara Forest, and this will surely take up a huge section of your day. The lake offers watersports as well! We didn’t get to hike as we spent the day touring the major attractions like Chureito Pagoda, Oishi Park, and such.
A closer look at Shoji Mount Hotel. You can see the on-site restaurant/cafe beside it!
Besides the on-site Jurin Cafe and Restaurant, there’s another eatery nearby called Fujimi Cafe that’s a perfect spot to lounge and finish off some work. Or you can have a cup of coffee here while gazing out at the gorgeous mountain views.
Unfortunately, we couldn’t sample the on-site restaurant food or visit the cute cafe as we were here only for 1 night, but maybe next time!
We later discovered that the lakeside area is a popular photographers’ haunt. It would get a bit busy when it was sunrise as many passionate travelers came and parked their cars along the lake to take sunrise shots of Fuji San. Seemed to me that their main intent was to get the full reflection of Mt. Fuji in the crystal-clear waters of Shojiko.
These photographers were quite seasoned and well-prepared for the biting cold winds. They’d bring some warm noodles and sit in their cars with heaters on, while their cameras, expertly perched on tripods, captured the beautiful timelapse of the sun rising over Mount Fuji.
We, on the other hand, did not have the luxury of cozying up inside a car, but it was an experience, nonethless, to see the darkness lift when the sun hit the skies. But Fuji San was a bit moody that morning and there was a strip of cloud hiding the tip all the while, so we couldn’t get a clear view or get the full inverted view in the waters. But it is a CORE memory to watch the sunrise over Lake Shoji, which is right across the street from the hotel (I cannot emphasize this locational advantage enough!).
Rooms
Night-time view of Mount Fuji from our room.
The highlight of the hotel is that all the rooms offer views of Mt. Fuji. Some of the rooms have balconies while others don’t. We had chosen a Japanese-style room with a balcony that could easily accommodate five people. There were other regular rooms but we wanted a more authentic experience, and we definitely did get it! The balcony was of course the highlight of our accommodation and offered unobstructed views of Fuji San and its reflection on the lake.
We arrived at our hotel after sundown and got very lucky with this nighttime view from our balcony. If we had a DSLR camera, I cannot imagine what the photo would’ve looked like, but all we had was our phones and they didn’t justice to what we could see with our naked eyes!
Our cozy tatami room with tatami beds and incredibly fluffy blankets!
The main room had three tatami beds and a chabudai setting with iconic tatami chairs. The other room had a proper work desk and two regular beds. The hotel also provided extra bedding, and there were Japanese robes and slippers for everyone, which we loved trying on!
Trying on our Japanese robes and shoes!
The hair dryer and extra towels in the bathroom were a nice touch.
I also loved how they provided an electric kettle and coffee and tea packets in the room. So you could literally wake up, brew yourself some tea, and head to the balcony to watch the sunrise glisten across Mount Fuji!
Hotel amenities
A look inside the on-site restaurant. I’d suggest getting a cup of coffee and lounging at the window-side table.
The hotel has an on-site restaurant, but, like I mentioned already, we didn’t get a chance to try it out on our one-night stay. We did take a peek inside though and it seemed a lovely place to dine while relishing some lake views. The on-site restaurant offers breakfast buffets and à la carte dinners.
The on-site public bath with separate sections for men and women.
The hotel has a 24/7 onsen as well, and if you don’t have time for a dip, you can just go for a quick pampering session on one of the free massage chairs! Note that the onsen has no views, but you’ll probably be too busy soaking in the steaming water to notice anyway.
Get a buddy and settle in for a session on the massage chairs!
The keychains were absolutely adorable!
The hotel sells a lot of cute knickknacks, and I don’t think you’d have to go anywhere else to score some interesting souvenirs.
The cute little geta shoes (traditional Japanese sandals with wooden bases) will make for cute mementos!
The lounging area with plenty of books. Most of the books were in Japanese!
Wi-Fi is available in all public areas of the hotel. It also has a lounging area where tourists can get information, and if you want to go exploring on your own, you can opt for a paid bicycle rental from the hotel. Laundry services are also provided at a charge.
One thing to note though is that you can’t wear your shoes inside the hotel. The property has a locker near the entrance where you can store your shoes, which are for outdoor use only.
Why I loved it here
The gang was all smiles at Shoji Mount Hotel!
The amazing location and incredible views were reasons enough for me to fall in love with Shoji Mount Hotel. There was comparatively less of a crowd here and you almost feel like you can touch Mt Fuji. That’s how close it looks to the hotel! The unspoiled environment allowed me to establish a sort of personal connection with the iconic Fuji San. If you’re lucky enough to see Mount Fuji on a moonlit night - which we did - it’s nothing short of spectacular. The moonlight glistening off of the snowy summit of Mount Fuji is an image that will stay with me my entire life.
The 24/7 onsen helped flesh out the authentic Japanese experience the hotel promises. The only minor issue that we had was connectivity, but if you figure out the bus timings, you can easily work your way around it.
I hope you enjoy Shoji Mount Hotel as much as we did if you book yourself a night (or a few!).
Also, if you want to know how we went around exploring Kawaguchiko, hear Bish talk about our Kawaguchiko experience in this video.
Or, if you’re interested in popular cities like Tokyo, Kyoto and Osaka, you can also read my detailed guide RIGHT HERE.
Shoji Mount Hotel
Address: Shoji 301
History
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