Qurren, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Yamanashi

Mount Fuji's north side, lakes and wine

Yamanashi Prefecture is in central Honshu west of Tokyo and is surrounded by mountains with Mount Fuji on its southern edge. The Fuji Five Lakes area has lakeside views of the peak, lava caves and small museums. The Yoshida Trail, the main climbing route, also begins there. Further inland the Kofu Basin has wineries and fruit orchards. Kofu city was once the seat of the warlord Takeda Shingen. Hot springs and Shosenkyo Gorge add more reasons to stay. It's easiest to pick one of the two main areas, the Fuji lakes or the Kofu valley, since the prefecture is too varied to see in a single day.

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State/Prefecture in Japan

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$	Cheap
$$	Medium
$$$	Expensive, upscale
$$$+	Very expensive, luxury

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Safety: 8.6

General Safety:	9
Health & medical:	8
Accessibility:	7
Tap water:	9

Read details

3/5

In Yamanashi, most locals speak limited English, especially outside major cities. Tourists will find basic phrases helpful; however, relying on translation apps or bilingual guides is advisable for smoother communication.

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Last update: 20 Oct 2026

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Yamanashi Summary

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Excellent for mountain scenery and wine. Visit vineyards and wineries, enjoy hot springs, hike in mountain landscapes and photograph famous views of Mount Fuji.

Place score

9.4

Best at:

Mountains

Spotless

Natural sites

Volcanoes

Lakes

Personal score

Suited for

👶 7

Families

🧓 6

Seniors

🛡️ 8

Travel Beginners

👩 8

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Japan – Quick facts

Guide Etiquette Holidays Other

Power Grid:	100 V, 50 Hz Plug: Type A Type A: Read about power adapters
Currency:	Japanese Yen (JPY) £1 ≈ JP¥210
Cashless info:	Rating 4/5 Cashless payments are becoming more common, especially in cities, with some shops still preferring cash. Be prepared for occasional cash-only situations in rural areas. Save with a travel credit card
eSIM providers:	Best value: Saily Flexibility: Airalo Read our in-depth comparison

Tipping:	Tipping is not customary in Japan and can be considered rude. Excellent service is the norm, and tipping is unnecessary in most places.
Public drinking:	Public drinking is legal and commonly accepted, particularly during festivals and events.
Public smoking:	Smoking is prohibited in indoor public places but allowed in designated outdoor areas. Some restaurants may have smoking sections.

New Year (January)	One of the most important holidays, expect crowded temples and high prices. Plan ahead.
Golden Week (April-May)	The busiest travel time, expect high demand for accommodation and transport.
Obon (August)	A time to honour ancestors, many businesses close, and transport can be crowded.

Emergency contact:	Emergency Number: 110 (Police), 119 (Fire & Ambulance)
Taxi apps:	Uber, JapanTaxi, DiDi
Other:	Japan is a country of respect, so understanding local customs and etiquette is important. Public transport is efficient, but can be crowded during peak hours.

Best times to travel

The best times to travel section shows how the months compare for a visit, so you can find the time of year that fits what you want to do.

Background colours of the months:
The colour shows the typical temperature: yellow (hot), green (mild) and blue (cold). How strong the colour is shows the travel season: full colour means high season, soft colour means shoulder season and soft-striped means off season.

Weather symbols:
Each month has one symbol showing what the weather is typically like, such as hot and sunny, freezing or a rainy or snowy season. Use them to quickly spot months that match the weather you want, or to avoid the ones that don't.

Crowdedness:
The people icon shows how busy the place usually is. The more people, the more crowded it gets.

Additional notes:
The grey info boxes point out special things worth knowing, like recurring weather issues or seasonal events.

for Yamanashi, Japan

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Jan

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Feb

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Mar

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Apr

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May

🌦️

Jun

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Jul

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Aug

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Sep

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Oct

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Nov

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Dec

High season:	April - May, July - Aug., Oct. - Nov.
Shoulder season:	Jan. - March, Sep., Dec.
Crowdedness:	6 (Many tourists)

Tap on a month for more info Hover over a month for more info

Climate details

Mt. Fuji climbing season early July to early September, trails closed and unsafe the rest of the year

Cherry blossoms around Lake Kawaguchi mid to late April; autumn leaves there early to mid November

Fruit picking season: peaches in July, grapes August to October

Don't miss

🚡 Taste hōtō, Yamanashi's hearty flat noodle stew
🍇 Pick grapes and peaches in Yamanashi's fruit orchards
🌅 Explore Lake Kawaguchi's sunrise reflections of Mt. Fuji
🥾 Trek the Mount Fuji trail from Yamanashi side
🏯 Visit Takeda Shrine, built on the site of Takeda Shingen's residence

You've been here?

Why travel to Yamanashi?

The north side of Mount Fuji is in Yamanashi and looks over the Fuji Five Lakes. Lake Kawaguchi is the best known for views of the peak across the water. The main climbing route, the Yoshida Trail, starts here. Around the lakes you'll find forests, lava caves, small museums and craft workshops. Wine and fruit are the other draw. Yamanashi began making wine in 1870 and produces a large share of Japan's wine, including whites from the local Koshu grape. The valleys around Kofu grow peaches, plums and grapes and many orchards open for picking in season. Wineries in the Katsunuma area are easy to visit for tasting. Beyond these the prefecture has more sights. Isawa Onsen has hot springs, Shosenkyo Gorge is a scenic walk near Kofu and Kuonji Temple is at Minobu in the south. Kofu has a link to the warlord Takeda Shingen, whose shrine and ruins are in the city. A day trip from Tokyo covers the lakes but two or three nights lets you combine them with Kofu and a winery stop. Spring brings cherry blossoms and autumn brings leaf colour around Fuji.

🏯Places worth seeing

1 Fuji-Q Highland
2 Gotemba Premium Outlets
3 Hakone Open-Air Museum
4 Kawaguchiko Music Forest
5 Lake Ashi
6 Mt. Fuji
7 Oshino Hakkai

🎡Places for activities

1 Hakone Ropeway

🏞️Natural landmarks

1 Arakura Sengen Shrine
2 Lake Kawaguchi
3 Mt. Fuji
4 Ōishi Park

🍽️Eat & Drink

1 Restaurant SAI
Oku-Yamanashi cuisine, a mountain style cooked over a wood fire, at a luxury restaurant by Lake Saiko. Dinner is a ten-course menu that can include venison, wild boar and horse meat. It is 20 minutes by car from Kawaguchiko IC.
2 Houto Labo
Hoto, thick flat noodle stew, in a seafood version topped with prawns, crab and roe. A vegetable bowl swaps the fish stock for kelp broth. Staff also teach a noodle-making class in a log-cabin-style building.
3 Hoto Fudo Kawaguchiko Kita Honten
Hoto, a traditional noodle stew, with homemade flat noodles in a miso broth with squash and mushrooms. Hoto is the only dish on the menu. The restaurant has run for three generations. It takes cash only.
4 Koshu Hoto Kosaku
Yamanashi regional cooking built on about ten kinds of hoto, including wild boar, mushroom and sweet azuki bean versions. Set meals add horse sashimi and simmered abalone. The restaurant has run for more than 50 years and has nine branches.
5 Menkyo Kaiden
Yoshida udon, very firm thick noodles topped with boiled cabbage and either horse meat or seasoned beef. Cooks boil the noodles separately, so they stay chewy. The restaurant is in Fujiyoshida, the home of the dish.

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Open map view

Knowledge before you go

The official Mount Fuji climbing season starts in July.
Fuji is often hidden by cloud, so early mornings and cold months give the clearest views.
Katsunuma has many wineries near its station, so you can taste without hiring a car.
Fujiyoshida's own noodle dish, Yoshida udon, has firm chewy noodles and is quite different from hoto.

How to travel to Yamanashi

Most visitors come from Tokyo, either by highway bus or train. Highway buses run from Shinjuku Station to Kawaguchiko Station in about 1 hour 45 minutes. By train it takes about 2 hours 40 minutes via Otsuki on the JR Chuo Line and the Fujikyuko Line. A limited express to Otsuki takes about 2 hours before you change to the Fujikyuko Line. To reach Kofu take the JR Chuo Line from Shinjuku on a limited express train. The trip takes roughly 1.5 to 2 hours. From Kyoto, Osaka or Nagoya take the Tokaido Shinkansen to Shizuoka and change to the JR Tokaido Main Line to Fuji Station. Then take the JR Minobu Line northbound into the prefecture. Haneda (HND) and Narita (NRT) are the nearest major airports and both connect through Tokyo. By car the Chuo Expressway from Tokyo goes to both Kofu and the lakes. Allow around 2 hours depending on traffic.

Access summary

From Narita (NRT): N'EX to Tokyo Station, then JR Chuo Line to Kofu (~2h).
From Tokyo: Local JR Chuo line to Kofu, ~1.5–2h; from Nagano: local train to Kofu, ~1h.
From Kofu Airport (KOF): Drive or bus to city centre, about 30 min.

Check your route from anywhere

Where to stay in Yamanashi

Most of the places to stay are around the Fuji Five Lakes. Lakeside hotels and ryokan around Kawaguchi have rooms with Fuji views and onsen baths. Guesthouses and campsites are also found around the quieter lakes like Saiko and Motosu. Staying overnight gives you the early morning views before day trippers arrive. Kofu city has business hotels near the station that suit visits to wineries and sights. Isawa Onsen has ryokan for a hot spring stay in the Kofu valley. If you plan to climb Mount Fuji, mountain huts near the trail need reservations well ahead of the summer season. Book early for weekends, cherry blossom time and autumn leaves. Tokyo is also workable as a base for a single day at the lakes, although you'll lose the quiet morning and evening hours.

Hotel recommendations

*by rating and popularity. Commissions have no influence on the rankings.

Dormy Inn Kofu Marunouchi Hot Springs

8.7

Dormy Inn Kofu Natural Hot Spring - Renewal Open from February 3, 2025

8.4

Kofu Washington Hotel Plaza

7.4

Mt. Fuji Hanayagi no Sho Keizan

7.9

Comfort Inn Kofu Isawa

Toyoko Inn Kofu-eki Minami-guchi No.1

8.1

HOTEL KOHAKUEN

8.1

Toyoko Inn Kofu-eki Minami-guchi No.2

8.3

Explore more accommodations

How to get around Yamanashi

Yamanashi has two main areas and they work differently.

Fuji lakes:
At the Fuji lakes the Fujikyuko Line runs from Otsuki to Kawaguchiko Station and sightseeing buses loop around the lakes. Bicycles can be hired at Kawaguchiko. In the climbing season buses run from the station to the 5th Station on the Fuji Subaru Line.

Kofu area:
In the Kofu area the JR Chuo Line links Otsuki with Kofu and Katsunuma and city buses and taxis cover the rest. Wineries around Katsunuma are close to the station and can be visited on foot or by taxi.

Car:
A car is useful if you want to combine the lakes with wineries or head to Minobu and the gorge, since public transport between the two areas is slower. Roads can be icy in winter, so check conditions in the colder months. If you stay at the lakes only, buses and trains are enough.

Food in Yamanashi

Food in Yamanashi is built around hearty mountain cooking and local fruit.

Hoto:
Hoto is the dish to try. It's a hearty miso stew of wide flat noodles cooked with pumpkin and vegetables and it's usually served in an iron pot. It's especially good in cold weather around the Fuji lakes.

Fruit, wine and sweets:
Yamanashi is also known for fruit, including peaches, plums and grapes in season. Wine made from local grapes is the other speciality and many wineries offer tastings. Shingen mochi, a soft rice cake with roasted soybean flour and dark syrup, is a popular sweet.

In Kofu and around the lakes most places close in the early evening, so plan dinner ahead. Many wineries and fruit farms need a visit by day.

Budget snapshot

Costs compared to home

We calculate the average costs when travelling to destinations and compare those with the living costs at your home. With this you can get an estimate of how expensive or cheap the destination is for you.

To customise this, you can set up which location and price level are used for the calculations in your account settings.

-43 %

Daily expenses in Yamanashi are around 43% lower than the average across United States. That means you'll spend a lot less on meals and getting around.

Exchange rate trend

The exchange rate price factor shows how expensive or cheap a currency currently is compared to its historical average. It's a quick way to see if a country is currently more or less affordable due to exchange rate changes.

-20 %

Your exchange rate (GBP to JPY) is 20% better than in recent years. That means travelling now is considerably cheaper compared to the past.

Travel costs

To help you plan your trip, we provide estimated daily costs per person (when travelling as a pair) for different travel styles. These numbers give you an idea of what you might spend each day at this destination, including accommodation, food, transport and activities.

Additionally, we also provide average hotel costs for different travel styles to give you an estimate for the accommodation only.

Please note that these are only estimates. The real costs depend on booking times, season and other factors.

Daily cost summary

Travel style categories explained:

Backpacker:
Staying in hostels or budget hotels, cooking your own meals or eating cheap and choosing low-cost activities.

Mid-range:
Staying in mid-range hotels, eating at a mix of restaurants and casual spots and enjoying a variety of activities.

Luxury:
Staying in luxury hotels, dining out at high-end restaurants and enjoying premium experiences without worrying about the price.

	Backpacker	Mid-range	Luxury
💵 Total costs per day, including accommodation	£46	£93	£264
🏨 Accommodation per night, per person	£24	£51	£124
🍝 Food per day	£17	£34	£102
🚕 Transportation per day	£5	£8	£38

Food & Drink

🍽️ Restaurant Dinner, per person	£12.50
🍛 Lunch Set, per person	£6
🍟 Fast food combo	£3.90
🍝 Preparing your own food, per day	£6.50
☕ Cappuccino	£2
🍺 Beer in a restaurant, 0.5 l	£2.50

Transportation

🚌 Public transport ticket	£1.30
🚕 Taxi Ride, 10 km / 6 mi	£24
⛽ Petrol, 1 l	£0.90

Other

🎞️ Cinema ticket	£8.50
👩‍⚕️ Doctor's consult	£28
🤧 Cold medication	£7
💇 Basic haircut	£11.50

Safety information overview

General safety

Yamanashi is very safe with low crime in towns and tourist areas. The main risks are in the mountains. Mount Fuji has altitude, cold and sudden weather. Bears are present in mountain forests and winter can bring icy roads.

Health & Medical

Kofu and Fujiyoshida have hospitals and clinics and pharmacies are common in towns. Medical care is far from the mountain trails and huts. Mount Fuji's height of 3,776 metres can cause altitude sickness and cold exposure even in summer.

Accessibility

Accessibility is mixed. Kofu city and the main lakeside paths around Kawaguchiko are mostly flat and the larger stations have lifts. Mountain trails are steep and uneven and many wineries and shrines have steps or gravel, so check before you go.

Tap water

Tap water in Yamanashi is safe to drink like the rest of Japan. Spring water is common in the Fuji area. In rural areas and on the trails shops are far apart, so carry bottled water.