Benable — create shareable lists of things you recommend!
E.g., products you love, local businesses, travel recs - you can add anything to a Benable list!
I Finally Found the Perfect Glamping Spots Near Mount Fuji's Lakes
30
items Planning a trip to Mount Fuji and torn between roughing it in a tent and blowing your budget on a hotel? If you want to wake up next to a lake with Fuji in the background but still have a real bed and a hot shower, this took me three trips to nail do...
Sections
5
Lakeside Glamping Sites with Direct Fuji Views
Gear That Made Lakeside Glamping Way More Comfortable
Restaurants and Food Spots Worth the Drive from Camp
Day Activities Around the Fuji Five Lakes
Practical Stuff I Wish Someone Told Me Before Going
Lakeside Glamping Sites with Direct Fuji Views
My first trip I booked a place that said ‘Fuji view’ and it was literally a sliver between two buildings. These spots actually deliver the postcard shot right from your tent or cabin.
Grab a cabin here if you want the woods-meets-luxury thing without pretending you're Bear Grylls. Woke up, opened the curtain, and Fuji was just sitting there across the lake like a screensaver. For anyone who wants to feel outdoorsy but still needs ...
HOSHINOYA Fuji
Try this one if you're traveling with a group and need variety. They have cottages, trailers, and tent sites all in one spot. We showed up with zero camping skills and still managed to look like we knew what we were doing. Book early for autumn leaf ...
PICA Fujiyama
Keep this on your list if you want the most wide-open, unobstructed Fuji view possible. It's more basic than the others, but the payoff at sunrise made my jaw literally drop. Best for people who don't mind trading a few amenities for that one perfect...
Fumotoppara: The King of Japanese Campgrounds
Snag a spot here if Lake Saiko is your vibe. It's quieter than the Kawaguchiko side and feels like you have the whole forest to yourself. I wandered around at night and the silence was almost unsettling in the best way. Couples without kids, this is ...
Pica: What It Is, Causes, Symptoms & Treatment
Switch to this if you've tried the bigger sites and want something smaller and more personal. The dome tents here look like they belong in a sci-fi movie but they're surprisingly cozy. Staff brought us firewood without us even asking.
Retreat Camp Mahoroba
Use this as your base if you're arriving late and need something close to transit. It's not the most remote option but the convenience factor saved us when our train got delayed by two hours. Perfect for first-timers still figuring out Japan rail log...
CABIN & LOUNGE HIGHLAND STATION INN
Gear That Made Lakeside Glamping Way More Comfortable
Even at a glamping site, there are things they don't provide that you'll desperately want by night two. I learned this after freezing through one November evening near Lake Motosu.
Pair this with whatever blanket the glamping site gives you and you'll sleep like you're in a heated apartment. November near Fuji dropped to near freezing and I was toasty. Worth the investment if you plan to camp in Japan more than once.
NANGA UDD BAG 450DX BEG Regular
Toss this in your luggage because most glamping sites have seating, but it's never in the right spot. I dragged mine to the lake edge every morning and just sat there staring at the mountain. Weighs almost nothing, which matters when you're hauling b...
Helinox Chair One | Free Shipping & 5 Year Warranty
Bring this for your morning coffee ritual outside. It keeps drinks hot way longer than the paper cups they hand out, and it feels like a tiny luxury. For anyone who gets unreasonably grumpy without warm coffee first thing.
Ti-Double 450 Mug - Ultralight Titanium Camping Cup
Keep one of these clipped to your bag. Power outlets in glamping tents are hit or miss, and this doubles as a phone charger in a pinch. Saved me when I wanted to read at night but the tent light was basically a nightlight.
Lighthouse Micro Charge USB Rechargeable Lantern
Swap this under your sleeping bag if the glamping cot feels like a wooden plank. Some places have great beds, others have. suggestions of beds. My back thanked me every morning at Lake Shoji. Packs down to the size of a water bottle.
NeoAir XLite NXT Ultralight Sleeping Pad | Therm-a-Rest
Wear this layered under a shell and you're set for Fuji-area temps from October through April. I stuffed it into its own pocket and forgot it was in my daypack until the sun dropped. For the person who always underestimates how cold lakeside evenings...
Plasma 1000 Down Jacket Men's
Restaurants and Food Spots Worth the Drive from Camp
Glamping meals are fine, but after two nights of curry packets I was craving real food. These places were all within a short drive or bus ride from the Fuji Five Lakes area.
Get the houtou noodle soup here on a cold night and you'll understand why locals have been eating it for centuries. It's thick, warming, and the portions are ridiculous. Showed up shivering after a rainy hike and this basically brought me back to lif...
Houtou Fudou
Try their yakiniku if you want to grill your own meat after pretending to be outdoorsy all day. The quality of the beef surprised me for a lakeside tourist area. Great for groups because you're all cooking together and it turns into a whole thing.
Spotify
Swing by in the morning for fresh bread and pastries before heading back to camp. It sits right near Lake Kawaguchi and the smell alone will pull you in from the street. For anyone who needs something flaky and buttery to pair with that mountain view...
Lake Baked
Grab a bowl of their udon when you need something fast between activities. No frills, just thick handmade noodles in hot broth. I was in and out in 25 minutes and it cost less than a convenience store lunch somehow.
Fuji Tempura IDATEN KAWAGUCHIKO
Bring your appetite here for pizza with a Fuji view that feels almost unfair. Wood-fired, crispy, and they use local ingredients. My partner and I split two pies and still ordered dessert. Pairs well with the local Fujiyama beer.
Sylvans Restaurant in Fujiyoshida, Yamanashi
Snag a window seat for lunch and you'll stare at Lake Kawaguchi while eating French-Japanese fusion that has no business being this good in a small lakeside town. Reservations help, especially on weekends when Tokyo day-trippers flood in.
Hostellerie du Lys
Day Activities Around the Fuji Five Lakes
Sitting at camp staring at Fuji is great for about four hours. Then you need a plan. These kept us busy without feeling like a tourist checklist.
Take a guided walk instead of going solo. The forest is dense and easy to get turned around in, plus the guide told us stories about the ecology that made the whole experience feel different. For anyone who wants the forest without the creepy interne...
Aokigahara Forest - Guided Nature Walk
Hop on this even if boat tours usually bore you. The Fuji reflection on calm mornings is something you genuinely can't see from shore. I felt silly buying a ticket and then couldn't stop taking photos for 30 minutes straight.
Ensoleille Excursion Ship Pleasure Boat Kawaguchiko
Ditch the nature vibes for a few hours and ride some of the most intense roller coasters in Japan. The Fujiyama coaster with the actual mountain behind it is surreal. Perfect if you're traveling with someone who needs more adrenaline than a campfire ...
Fuji-Q Highland
Wander through this small village with crystal-clear spring water pools fed by Fuji snowmelt. It's touristy but the water is genuinely that blue and the grilled mochi from the vendors is addictive. Go early before the bus groups arrive.
Oshino Hakkai - Fuji Five Lakes Travel
Ride this up Mount Tenjo for a panoramic Fuji and lake view that made every other viewpoint feel incomplete. There's a small shrine at the top and a deck where you can just stand and breathe. For the person who wants the mountain view without the mou...
Mt. Fuji Panoramic Ropeway Round-trip Ticket in Yamanashi
Visit this reconstructed thatched-roof village if you want a quiet afternoon away from the crowds. You can try crafts, eat soba, and walk through buildings that feel frozen in time. Showed up skeptical and ended up staying three hours.
Saiko Iyashi-no-Sato Nenba
Practical Stuff I Wish Someone Told Me Before Going
Nobody warned me about the bus schedules, the weather swings, or how fast glamping spots book up during peak season. These saved me real headaches on trips two and three.
Get this pass before you arrive. It covers buses, boats, and the ropeway, and it paid for itself by lunch on day one. For anyone coming from Tokyo who doesn't want to rent a car but still needs to get around the lakes without going broke on individua...
Fuji Hakone Pass
Keep one of these loaded and ready. Not everything around the lakes takes credit cards, and fumbling for coins at a rural bus stop while the driver waits is a special kind of stress. Tap and go, no thinking required.
Prepaid IC Cards in Japan: Suica, Pasmo, Icoca
Use this to check wind and cloud cover before sunrise. I set an alarm for 5 AM three mornings in a row and only one had clear skies, but that was the morning I got THE photo. Saves you from stumbling out of a warm sleeping bag for nothing.
Windy.app – Live wind map & weather forecast
Pack these even if you're going in September. Fuji lakeside temperatures drop hard after sunset and cotton won't cut it. I wore mine under a flannel and felt fine at 40 degrees while my friend in a hoodie was miserable.
Men's HEATTECH + Thermal Clothing
Snag a rental unit before your trip because cell signal around some of the lakes is spotty at best. I needed GPS to find our campsite and my phone data gave up halfway there. This little box kept us connected when it mattered.
Japan Wireless
Toss this in your daypack because you'll drink more water than you expect hiking and exploring at altitude. Vending machines are everywhere in Japan but carrying a rigid bottle through train transfers is annoying. Folds flat when empty, which my over...
Vapur Collapsible Water Bottle With Carabiner