Mount Fuji Webcam – Japan’s Sacred Peak from Kawaguchiko

The Mount Fuji Webcam looks south-southwest from the summit deck of the Mt. Fuji Panoramic Ropeway, on Mount Tenjo above the eastern shore of Lake Kawaguchi, at the north face of Japan’s highest mountain. The summit is 16.6 kilometers (10.3 miles) away, and the whole cone fits in the frame. Below the deck, the rooftops of Fujikawaguchiko fill the foreground, the roller coasters of Fuji-Q Highland rise on the left, and a highway heads for the mountain through the forest at its base. On some days cloud sits on the upper slopes for hours while the forest below stays in sunshine. On clear ones the entire volcano stands over the town, and from early October it usually carries its first snow.

About Mount Fuji and the Kachi Kachi Ropeway

Mount Fuji rises to 3,776 meters (12,389 feet), the highest point in Japan, about 100 kilometers (62 miles) southwest of Tokyo on the border of Yamanashi and Shizuoka prefectures. It is an active stratovolcano. Its last eruption, the Hoei eruption, began on December 16, 1707 and ended around January 1, 1708. That eruption blew out a new crater and a second peak, Mount Hoei, halfway down the southeastern flank, which faces away from this camera, so the profile seen here is the unbroken north side.

Fuji is one of Japan’s Three Holy Mountains, with Mount Tate and Mount Haku, and UNESCO added it to the World Heritage List on June 22, 2013 as “Fujisan, sacred place and source of artistic inspiration”. The Yoshida Trail, the most popular route to the top, climbs the Yamanashi side the camera faces, starting from the Fuji Subaru Line 5th Station at 2,305 meters (7,562 feet). July and August are the busiest months on the trail.

The camera’s own hill has a story too. The Mt. Fuji Panoramic Ropeway is officially the Kachi Kachi Ropeway, named after Kachi-kachi Yama, a Japanese folk tale about a rabbit and a raccoon dog that is set on Mount Tenjo. Its cable runs 460 meters (1,509 feet) and lifts the cars about 400 meters (1,312 feet) from the lakeshore in roughly three minutes, to an observation deck more than 1,000 meters (3,281 feet) above sea level.

Weather and Climate at Mount Fuji

The Japan Meteorological Agency’s Kawaguchiko station, in the town below the camera, describes the foreground’s year (1991 to 2020 normals). January is the coldest month, with highs of 5.5 C (42 F) and nights around -5.7 C (22 F), and it brings the most snow, about 37 centimeters (15 inches). It is also the driest month, at 61 millimeters (2.4 inches) of precipitation, so winter tends to give the clearest look at the white cone. Spring warms quickly, and April averages 16 C (61 F) by day and 4 C (39 F) at night.

Summer is warm and humid, with August highs of 28 C (83 F) and lows near 18.5 C (65 F). Autumn is the wettest stretch: September averages 265 millimeters (10.4 inches) of precipitation and October 230 millimeters (9.1 inches), while October days drop back to 18 C (65 F) with nights near 9 C (48 F). Fuji’s seasonal snowcap first appears, on average, on October 2, and the cone stays snow-covered for about five months of the year.

Things to Do Near Mount Fuji

The ropeway puts you at the camera’s own viewpoint. The summit deck looks over both Lake Kawaguchi and the mountain, and the Usagi (rabbit) Shrine, a viewing tower and a scenic swing are a short walk apart at the top. Back at the lake, the Appare sightseeing boat cruises Lake Kawaguchi, one of the Fuji Five Lakes along with Lake Yamanaka, Lake Sai, Lake Shoji and Lake Motosu. Fuji-Q Highland, the amusement park whose coasters show in the lower left of the frame, lies just across the line in Fujiyoshida.

Fujiyoshida holds two more of the area’s best-known sights. The five-story Chureito Pagoda in Arakurayama Sengen Park was built on a hilltop facing Mount Fuji and gives one of the most photographed views of the mountain. Kitaguchi Hongu Fuji Sengen Shrine, dedicated to the mountain’s kami, is the historical starting point for pilgrims climbing Fuji, and its main structure was first built in 788. For a closer look at the volcano, buses on the Fuji Subaru Line run up to the 5th Station where the Yoshida Trail begins.

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• Mount Nakadake Webcam
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Frequently Asked Questions

What can you see on the Mount Fuji Webcam?

The camera faces south-southwest from the Mt. Fuji Panoramic Ropeway’s summit deck, so the north face of Mount Fuji fills the center of the frame, 16.6 kilometers (10.3 miles) away. The forest at the foot of the mountain runs across the middle, and the foreground is the rooftops of Fujikawaguchiko, with the Fuji-Q Highland roller coasters on the left. When cloud settles on the upper slopes, only the lower half of the cone shows.

Where is Mount Fuji, and how far is it from Tokyo?

Mount Fuji stands on the border of Yamanashi and Shizuoka prefectures on Honshu, about 100 kilometers (62 miles) southwest of Tokyo. This camera is on the Yamanashi side, on Mount Tenjo above the east shore of Lake Kawaguchi in the town of Fujikawaguchiko.

Does this webcam show Lake Kawaguchiko, Hakone or the Chureito Pagoda?

No. Lake Kawaguchi lies to the west of the ropeway, while this camera faces south-southwest toward the mountain, so the water stays out of frame. The Chureito Pagoda is on a hillside in Fujiyoshida, east of the ropeway and out of view, and Hakone and Lake Ashi are farther southeast in Kanagawa Prefecture.

What is the weather like at Mount Fuji today?

The Mount Fuji Webcam is the quickest check on whether the mountain is showing, and the weather bar on this page gives current conditions at the camera. The summit is far colder and windier than the lakeshore in every season.

What is Mount Fuji like in October?

The first snow usually dusts the summit around the start of the month, Kawaguchiko averages 18 C (65 F) by day and 9 C (48 F) at night, and with 230 millimeters (9.1 inches) of precipitation it is one of the wettest months, so cloud often hides the peak.

How tall is Mount Fuji, and when did it last erupt?

Mount Fuji is 3,776 meters (12,389 feet) high, the tallest mountain in Japan. Its last eruption, the Hoei eruption, ran from December 1707 to January 1708, and it is still classed as an active volcano.

Can you see Mount Fuji on the webcam at night?

Not usually. The Mount Fuji Webcam keeps streaming after dark, but the mountain fades into the night sky and only the lights of the towns and the highway show along the bottom of the frame. The full view comes back with the morning light.

How long is the ride on the Mt. Fuji Panoramic Ropeway?

About three minutes, on 460 meters (1,509 feet) of cable from the lakeshore to the summit deck on Mount Tenjo, where this camera is mounted.

Source: Fujiyama NAVI