Fujisan View Express

Mt. Fuji is a must-see for any visitor to Japan.  With a snow capped peak nestled in the beautiful Japanese countryside, it’s a day trip from Tokyo. On a beautiful Saturday, my husband and I took Fujisan View Express, a luxury and the best train to get a closer look at Mt. Fuji.  

 The train runs between Otuki and Kawaguchiko stations in 45minutes and makes stops at Tsrubunka University, Mt. Fuji and Fujikyu Highland stations.  You can see beautiful view of World Heritage listed Mt. Fuji at several view points while enjoying dessert.

 On a beautiful Saturday, we left home around 8:15 a.m. to go to Shinjuku, where we took the JR Express to go to Otsuki. Then we took Fujisan View Express to enjoy desserts looking at Mt. Fuji!  ( Fare: JPY4,000 including the sweets.)

 The train is stylish, brand-new and comfortable with wooden interior.  Four kinds of desserts were served in a box.  Fruits sandwiches, Raison sand (Yamanashi berry), Maccha pudding and Fujiyama Mt. Blanc cake.  These were specially made for Fujisan View Express by famous patisserie Hashimoto. All are so delicious, it must be a dream train for sweet-tooth, but 45 minutes are too short for me.  The dream time went so quickly while exciting taking pictures of Mt. Fuji.

 Fujisan View Express is a set of three cars, No.1 train cars are Reserved seats only, 2 and 3 cars are Non reserved seats, and it runs alternately with the other series Fujisan Express train.  This special train has been designed by Eiji Mitooka, an industrial designer known for his work with the Seven Stars (Nanatsuboshi) by JR Kyushu luxury cruise train.

 When it arrived at Lake Kawaguchi, Mt. Fuji looks so beautiful and awesome, and bigger than the usual view from my room in Tokyo. Lake Kawaguchi is one of the five lakes of Mt. Fuji, is the most accessible spots for visitors to the area.  There is a sightseeing bus or hopping on a bike and riding around the lake, or like myself, just walked around to enjoy the scenery at your own pace.

There are several museums around the lake.  We stepped into the Fujiyama Museum, where you can see many pictures of Mt. Fuji by different artists, depicted at different time. You may see several different views of Mt. Fuji.  Mt. Fuji is inscribed UNESCO World Heritage as a sacred place and a source of artistic inspiration. 

Fujisan View Express  SWEET  Plan