The view of Mt. Fuji with a blanket of pink flowers is quite iconic and popularly found in posters and tourism related material for Japan. So when we were scheduled to visit Tokyo during the Fuji Shibazakura Festival was ongoing, we decided to take the train to Kawaguchiko.
We were able to catch the last few blooms on the last few days of this year’s Fuji Shibazakura Festival Since the peak of the flowers had already passed, bus and entrance fare were already discounted to Y1450 instead of Y2000. They had signages informing visitors that the peak has passed. But since we traveled all the way from Tokyo, we decided to continue to the park.
The best time to visit would be in late April or early May when flowers are at it’s peak and the grounds are covered in blankets of pink and white Shiba Zakura or lawn cherry.
Despite the limited patches of flowers, the trip from Tokyo was worth it. Luckily there weren’t any clouds covering Fujisan. It’s one of my visits wherein Mt Fuji was clearly seen the entire time we were there. The view of Mt. Fuji even with the remaining flowers was still amazing. I can only imagine how much better it would be at it’s peak.
When in full bloom, you can find about 800,000 moss phlox or pink moss. There are about 8 kinds of McDaniel’s Cushion, Mont-Blanc, Tama-no Nagare, Oakington Blue-eyes, Autumn Rose, Giant Rose, Scarlet Frame and Little Dot.
There is an observation deck where you can get a birds eye view of the park and plenty of food stalls to enjoy some local food. You can also dig out the pink moss for a fee of Y600. There are designated areas you can dig the pink moss and take home as much as you can fill the plastic bag they provide you. You are also provided a shovel you return after.
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| view from the observation deck |
Located at Fuji Motosuko Resort, you can take the festival bus from Kawaguchiko station directly to the site. . You can purchase tickets at the stall at Bus Stop #7 of Kawaguchiko Station. Bus ride takes about 30 mins. The first bus: leaves Kawaguchiko Station at 7:50AM and last bus leaves at 3:30 PM while the bus from the festival site’s 1st bus leaves at 8:30AM and last bus leaves at 5PM. You’ll need about 2 hours to enjoy the view. I would allot a little more time in case Mt. Fuji is covered by clouds.
From Tokyo, take the Azusa train from Shinjuku Station to Otsuki and transfer to the Fujikyu line to Kawaguchiko Station. If you have the JR Pass or Tokyo Wide Pass, the train to Otsuki is covered. If you’ll be using the other JR train passes, you’ll need to purchase a ticket for the Fujikyu Line. You can also use your IC Card like the Suica and ICOCA for this leg of the trip. You’ll also need to purchase an additional ticket, if you’ll be riding the express train. The connecting time for the trains is usually short so you’ll need to move fast or else you’ll need to wait 30 mins to an hour for the next train.
While in Kawaguchiko, you can check out other sites to enjoy a view of Mt. Fuji or take a cruise on Lake Kawaguchiko.
TIMETABLE:
to SHIBAZAKURA FESTIVAL SITE : ETD: 10:40AM ETA: 11:15AM
to KAWAGUCHIKO Station: ETD: 3:00 ETA: 3:52; ETD: 3:30 ETA: 4:05 last bus leaves at ETD: 5:00 PM ETA: 5:35 PM
WEBSITE: http://www.shibazakura.jp/eng/
ENTRANCE FEE: Y600 ; Y250 Children ( discounted tickets online) Y2000 entrance includes return bus
HOW TO GET HERE: Take SHIBAZAKURA BUS From Kawaguchi Station to Fuji Shibazakura Festival Site (30 mins) Kawaguchiko to Shibazakura Festival site(Shibazakura Liner - 30 mins direct to site)
NEAREST TRAIN STATION: Kawaguchiko Station
HOURS OF OPERATION: 8:00-5:00 PM