Day tour
Mount Fuji Photography Day Tour: Chureito Pagoda, Kawaguchiko Oishi Park, Oshino Hakkai, Lawson and Hikawa Clock Shop (from Tokyo)
From US$49.35
See dates on Klook
Chureito Pagoda: getting there, steps, parking and views
Day tour
Mount Fuji Photography Day Tour: Chureito Pagoda, Kawaguchiko Oishi Park, Oshino Hakkai, Lawson and Hikawa Clock Shop (from Tokyo)
From US$49.35
4.9 (10,100 reviews) on Klook, checked October 2026
We may get a commission from Klook, Viator or GetYourGuide bookings, with no extra cost to you. Affiliate disclosure
See dates on Klook
Chureito Pagoda
Photo: Google Maps- Type
- Memorial
- Address
- 2-chome-4-1 Asama, Fujiyoshida, Yamanashi 403-0011
- Area
- Shimoyoshida (Fujiyoshida)
- Google rating
- 4.7 (6,291 reviews) on Google Maps, checked October 2026
- On the map
- Open in Google Maps
| Day | Hours |
|---|---|
| Monday | 00:00–24:00 |
| Tuesday | 00:00–24:00 |
| Wednesday | 00:00–24:00 |
| Thursday | 00:00–24:00 |
| Friday | 00:00–24:00 |
| Saturday | 00:00–24:00 |
| Sunday | 00:00–24:00 |
The pagoda's story
Arakurayama Sengen Park and its war memorial
Memorial to 1,055 war dead1
The pagoda was built as a war memorial to enshrine 1,0551 of the city’s war dead. Sources disagree on the year: Wikipedia gives 1962, while japan-guide gives 19631.
It stands on the hillside of Arakurayama Sengen Park in Fujiyoshida, above the town. The stairs up to it start in the grounds of Arakura Fuji Sengen Shrine, the park’s own Sengen shrine, so you pass the shrine on the way up.
Can you see Mount Fuji from Chureito Pagoda?
Yes. Arakurayama Sengen Park looks down over the town of Fujiyoshida and across to Mount Fuji2, the highest mountain in Japan5.
That view is why most people come. Visitors to the Fuji Five Lakes mostly come for views of Mount Fuji6, and the mountain is a Japanese cultural icon, often shown in art and photography5. The red pagoda in front, the town below and the peak behind is the shot you’ll recognise from postcards.
Clouds are the one thing you can’t plan around. If the peak is hidden when you arrive, the shrine grounds and the stairs are still worth the walk, and you can wait it out on the deck.
Train, walk, climb
How do you get to Arakurayama Sengen Park from Kawaguchiko?
Take the Fujikyu Railway from Kawaguchiko to Shimoyoshida Station, then walk about 25 minutes2 to the park and climb the stairs.
About 25 min on foot from Shimoyoshida2
-
Train to Shimoyoshida
Shimoyoshida is the Fujikyu Railway's station for Arakurayama Sengen Park. The Fuji Excursion from Kawaguchiko takes about 13 minutes.
-
Walk to the park
From Shimoyoshida Station, the pagoda is about 25 minutes on foot.
-
Climb the Sakuya-hime Stairs
From the grounds of Arakura Fuji Sengen Shrine, 398 steps lead up to the observation area.
What a visit costs
| Ticket | Adult | Child |
|---|---|---|
| Arakurayama Sengen Park entry | Free | Free |
| Fujikyu train, Kawaguchiko to Shimoyoshida | ¥310 | Half the adult fare, rounded up |
| Fuji Excursion limited express ticket (on top of the fare) | ¥400 | ¥300 |
| Larger car park, per entry | ¥1,500 for up to 6 hours | – |
| Smaller car park, per entry | ¥1,000 for up to 6 hours | – |
gltjp.com (travel guide); Fujikyu Railway (operator); fujiyoshida.net (official)
The Fuji Excursion limited express is the quicker train. Sample departures from JR East’s October 20267 timetable:
| Train | Runs | Leaves Kawaguchiko | Reaches Shimoyoshida |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fuji Excursion No. 947 | Weekdays7 |
15:397 |
15:527 |
| Fuji Excursion No. 368 | Saturdays and holidays8 |
14:588 |
15:118 |
Coming straight from Tokyo? Highway buses from Shinjuku reach Kawaguchiko Station in about 1 hour 45 minutes9. The bus and train options from Tokyo to Kawaguchiko are compared on their own page.
By car and parking
By car, the park is about 15 minutes from Kawaguchiko IC on the Chuo Expressway, or about 12 minutes2 from Fujiyoshida Nishikatsura Smart IC.
The park has its own paid car parks. The larger one has 88 spaces and the smaller one 38 spaces2 for regular cars; their fees are in the table above.
The climb
The Sakuya-hime Stairs up to the observation deck
The observation deck sits at the top of the Sakuya-hime Stairs, a climb of 398 steps2 from the grounds of Arakura Fuji Sengen Shrine.
398 steps3
The stairs run for about 200 metres1, so take it slowly if steps are hard work for you. The Yamanashi tourism board lists these facilities for the park:
- handrails on the stairs3
- wheelchair parking3
- a wheelchair-accessible toilet3, and the park has toilets2 as well
Seasons and crowds
When to go
Arakurayama Sengen Park is open 24 hours2 (checked October 2026), so the time of day is up to you; the season decides the crowds and the cold. Google Maps lists the pagoda as open Mon–Sun 00:00–24:0010.
Open 24 hours2
| Season | What to expect |
|---|---|
| Spring | Lake Kawaguchiko draws especially large numbers of visitors in cherry blossom season11 |
| Summer | August is the warmest month, with a daily mean of 22.5 °C12 |
| Autumn | Heavy traffic around the lakes in the autumn leaves season6 |
| Winter | January averages a daily low of −5.7 °C12 |
Traffic around the lakes is also heavy on public holidays6, which matters if you’re driving. Coming for autumn colour? Pair the park with the Momiji Corridor visiting guide back at the lake.
Around the park
Nearby sights in Fujiyoshida
Fujiyoshida’s official tourism site lists these nearby tourist spots, all worth combining with the climb:
- Arakura Fuji Sengen Shrine2, which has a platform with views of the pagoda and Mount Fuji13 according to Wikivoyage
- Fudoyu2
- the Mt. Fuji Radar Dome Building2
- Fujisan Museum2
- Road Station Fujiyoshida2
Fuji-Q Highland is also in Fujiyoshida14, and the Fuji Excursion’s limited express ticket covers Shimoyoshida to Fuji-Q Highland15 too: see the guide to Fuji-Q Highland theme park. Kitaguchi Hongu Fuji Sengen Jinja, another Sengen shrine in town, is one of the component assets of the Mt. Fuji World Heritage site16.
For more on this side of the lakes, read the Fujiyoshida area guide. For the lake itself, see what to do around Kawaguchiko.
Without a car
Day tours from Tokyo that stop here
No car and no wish to juggle trains? These Tokyo day tours name the pagoda or the park in their own titles, and both add Oshino Hakkai to the same day.
Day tour
Mount Fuji Scenery Day Tour: Arakurayama Sengen Park, Kawaguchiko Oishi Park, Oshino Hakkai, Lawson and Hikawa Clock Shop (from Tokyo)
From US$50.95
See dates on KlookViator also runs a Tokyo day tour to the pagoda, Mt. Fuji and Lake Kawaguchiko. Prefer to go on your own? The Kawaguchiko day trip plan lays out the trains and stops.
Questions people ask
Is the pagoda worth the trip?
Fujiyoshida's official tourism site calls Arakurayama Sengen Park one of Japan's most spectacular Mount Fuji viewpoints.
Can you visit the park at night?
Yes. The park is open 24 hours and has night illumination, though the illumination times may change.
Photos: Wikimedia Commons and Pexels. Authors and licences: image credits
Checked against 17 sources · last checked October 2026
- Wikipedia · checked October 2026
- fujiyoshida.net (official) · checked October 2026
- yamanashi-kankou.jp (official) · checked October 2026
- gltjp.com (travel guide) · checked October 2026
- Wikipedia · checked October 2026
- Wikivoyage · checked October 2026
- JR East (operator) · checked October 2026
- JR East (operator) · checked October 2026
- Travel Japan (japan.travel) (official) · checked October 2026
- Google Maps listings via DataForSEO · checked October 2026
- yamanashi-kankou.jp (official) · checked October 2026
- data.jma.go.jp (official) · checked October 2026
- Wikivoyage · checked October 2026
- Wikipedia · checked October 2026
- Fujikyu Railway (operator) · checked October 2026
- fujiyoshida.net (official) · checked October 2026
- Fujikyu Railway (operator) · checked October 2026
Page history · last changed 20 October 2026
- Updated: new sections: Can you see Mount Fuji from Chureito Pagoda?; How to get to Chureito Pagoda from Kawaguchiko; Entry fee, parking and train fares; …, 7 sections removed, 3 sourced facts added, 6 removed; Updated: new sections: Arakurayama Sengen Park and its war memorial; How do you get to Arakurayama Sengen Park from Kawaguchiko?; The Sakuya-hime Stairs up to the observation deck; …, 6 sections removed, 8 sourced facts added, 3 removed.
- First written
