Chureito Pagoda

The pagoda and hike offer beautiful views of Mount Fuji. There are over 400 steps to get to the pagoda, but it is doable. There is also a paved path to the top. The hike is free, but the path can become slightly muddy after rain, so prepare accordingly. Many small shops selling drinks, meals, and ice cream are at the base of the hike. Highly recommend.

The place is beautiful — the contrast between the red pagoda and Mt. Fuji creates a stunning view, even on a rainy day. I got off at Shimoyoshida Station and continued on foot. The path up is quite steep, which can be challenging for elderly visitors. It's a long walk uphill, but the view at the top is absolutely worth it.

Chureito Pagoda , a five-storied pagoda built in 1963 as a peace memorial to commemorate the war dead from the region. It stands as part of the Arakura Fuji Sengen Shrine complex. The pagoda is renowned for its iconic view: Mount Fuji rising behind the structure, framed by cherry blossoms in spring or vivid foliage in autumn. To reach the viewing platform near the pagoda, visitors must climb approximately 400 steps. The best times to visit are during the cherry blossom season (mid to late April) or the autumn foliage period (November). Early morning or late afternoon hours offer the most dramatic lighting and fewer crowds.

Chureito Pagoda is just as picture-perfect as you’d expect, especially with Mt. Fuji in the background. The view from the top is absolutely worth it – peaceful and stunning. We went early in the morning, and it wasn’t too crowded.

Very nice pagoda. With a beautiful view of Mt Fuji if you're lucky. It's about 100 steps of stairs to get to the top so be prepared for that. But the view is worth it. Make sure you go early cause otherwise you'll be stuck behind the tourbus people who come with a few hundred at a time and they each need to take 2 minutes of selfies. We went there around 8 and that was perfect. When we were on our way down the busses started showing up.

My visit to Chureito Pagoda during snowfall was nothing short of magical. This iconic spot, already famous for its postcard-perfect view of Mount Fuji, takes on an entirely different charm in winter. Blanketed in snow, the landscape becomes serene, silent, and absolutely breathtaking. The climb up the 400+ steps was a bit more challenging in the snow, but well worth the effort. Fresh snow lined the path, and the sound of footsteps crunching beneath added to the peaceful atmosphere. As I reached the top, I was greeted with a view that felt surreal—the five-storied red pagoda framed by snowy trees, with Mount Fuji towering in the distance, its peak dusted with snow and partially veiled by mist. The contrast of red, white, and blue was stunning and something I’ll never forget. Few tourists were there that morning, likely due to the weather, which made the experience feel even more intimate and spiritual. I took my time enjoying the view, sipping hot tea from a nearby vending machine, and watching the snowfall gently around me. Photographers will find this place an absolute gem in winter. Every angle feels like a scene from a traditional Japanese painting. Just make sure to wear proper footwear, as the steps and paths can get slippery. Chureito Pagoda in the snow is not just a tourist spot—it’s an experience that touches the soul. The peacefulness, combined with the natural beauty and cultural depth, makes it one of the most memorable places I’ve ever visited. If you’re traveling near Mount Fuji in winter, don’t miss the chance to see this iconic view transformed into a quiet, snowy wonderland.

The view of Mount Fuji from this place is incredible—I think it’s the best spot to see it. You really get a sense of its size and how massive it is. I’ve been there in different seasons, and I can say that the most beautiful view is in winter, when there’s snow. It’s absolutely stunning. Mount Fuji is definitely more beautiful with snow, no doubt about it.

The pagoda is smaller than I thought, and much newer than I expected. I thought it’d be more aged, giving it a historic feel. It’s very clean, feels like it was made for a theme park. We went during May, and arrived around 10am. It wasn’t as busy as we thought, you just have to wait a bit and you’ll get some clearings of people for empty photos. We had a stroller so took the windy road up, much steeper than expected, took about 20-30mins. And we spent a total of around an hour here. Very iconic shot, top of the mountain was covered unfortunately but still worth it.

I was super excited when I found out that the tour I was taking was stopping by Chureito Pagoda, because I keep seeing it on my screen saver! Lol. Climbing up all those stairs was really a workout. Take your time and breath. My legs were burning by the time I got to the top. But it was definitely worth it! Well kinda.... By the time the tour got to the Chureito Pagoda, Mt Fuji was covered by the clouds. Boooo. But it was still nice to chill at the top. Pro tip - Download Lightroom. I was able to remove the people in my picture. :) There's bathrooms there, but bring some soap or hand sanitizer, cause there's none there. Didn't really check out the shops. Definitely a great experience and highly recommend to check it out if you're traveling to Japan.

Chureito Pagoda is located at the top of Arakurayama Sengen Park. If you're coming from Tokyo, it's about an 1.5 hour train ride from Shinjuku. This is a popular destination to get a photo with Mt. Fuji in the background so make sure to book your train tickets early. You can do it online or at the station. If you don't book tickets early, you may not have a reserved seat and might have to either stand the entire way or sit on the ground. From the train station, it's a quick walk over but be prepared to walk up some steep stairs. If you want to take the long way, there is a paved road that is easier for those who have trouble with stairs. It's a lot safer for those individuals. When you get to the top, you'll be surrounded by tons of other visitors trying to capture that perfect photo. You need to be patient as some tour groups there of a certain ethnicity are rather rude and ruin some of your photos or don't allow you space to take a better photo. The weather on the day before we went was raining so we were worried. Fortunately it was extremely clear the day we went without a cloud in the sky. The following day it was gloomy and drizzling so we got very lucky with the weather. We also left at the perfect time before the earthquake as we were on the train back into Tokyo. Talk about luck! One of the best photo spots to capture Mt Fuji in the background and we highly recommend this spot.

Despite the seemingly endless stairs, the reward awaiting at the top makes every step worthwhile. The panoramic view of Mt Fuji against the backdrop of the pagoda and vibrant autumn hues during sunset is a visual spectacle that etches itself into your memory. It's a moment of awe and tranquility that transcends the ordinary. If your time in Kawaguchiko is limited and you can only choose one itinerary, this has to be it. It's truly an unforgettable journey.

The view of Mt Fuji from the pagoda during the cherry blossom season is just absolutely spectacular and one of if not the nicest views I've seen over all my trips to Japan. I've come to this area on one other occasion in the past but did not make the trek up after seeing that the weather was quite cloudy. I definitely recommend checking the weather first before coming here as Mt Fuji may not even be viewable depending on the weather. However, if the weather is clear, the view of Mt Fuji is just perfect from this area. The trek up to the pagoda area is decent high up so wear comfortable shoes. There are multiple paths upwards that feature either a winding slope or stairs. I recommend coming here as early as possible as the crowds build up very quickly later into the morning. It can be quite tempting to stop and take photos while going up to the pagoda but I'd recommend saving that for during the way down. This is because the nice photo taking area by the pagoda will start forming a long line before long. There are multiple people working there to even just form and coordinate the line waiting to get into a small area that allows for picturesque photos. They let a number of people into the photo taking area at a time and do give quite some ample time for photos. I'd say it is definitely worth it and that pictures don't even do the view justice on a nice sunny day with cherry blossoms. It's simply iconic and the reason it is is quite clear once there.

If you're in need of a good leg pump or just looking for a great viewpoint of Mt Fuji, come to this Pagoda. The workout will kill you but the payout is awesome. You choose your own destiny. You can take the steep stairs that take you directly to the top. Or you can opt for the winding climb that tracks back and forth up the mountain. We come from California where the weather is always sunny and warm. So we our joints don't do well in the cold. We opted for the straight shot of stairs and our legs certainly felt the burn. After the strenuous climb, you'll find a fenced off red pagoda along with some public bathrooms and public drinking water faucet. There's some seating at the top where you can enjoy that beautiful sunset view. The closest train station is around 10 minute walk away. This place is a great spot for photographers and tourists alike since you can see the whole city of Kawaguchiko. Come for the views, experience the hike. Bring comfortable shoes & water!

Now I know why the postcards promote this place so hard! The view of mount Fuji together with the pagoda is breathtaking! I have seen many people get really excited coming here just to realize that the fog on that day totally blocks out Mount Fuji (nothing to see, wasted trip). Anyways, if you need to put in some workout, the hike to the pagoda would be a pretty good one. You would burn calories and get to witness the awesome view, good for the body and soul! I suggest that before coming here, check the weather in this area a week or two in advance on Google. This way, you won't go back empty handed, especially when you are coming from Tokyo and taking the public transport. The trip is not short at all. If you are coming to see the sakura as well, then also check the best time to see them online because the sakura season isn't uniform across Japan. Overall, if you enjoy nature and appreciate clean, fresh air, then I would recommend you coming here at least once!

Be prepared to walk up 500 treads of stairs up to the pagoda. There is a zig zag path though it's rather step for wheelchairs. The view up with the pagoda is magical. Suggest to go during Sakura season which is the signature view.

Bucket Shot. Leave early. Bring water and comfy walking shoes. Chureito Pagoda and the iconic Fujisani shot is something I've wanted to see for a long time now. Last week I made it happen. Set out around 6AM from Shinjuku, took the local train to the shrine's stop and walked about a mile from the train station to the base of the shrine. My mother being disabled was not able to make it up, so I left her with some extremely kind pop up cafe owners who let her sit down at the base of the shrine. I then proceeded up the 5000 steps to the top, genuinely nearly passing out due to exhaustion and the intense Japanese humidity several times. After about 40 minutes, I made it to the top and boy was it worth it. The Pagoda is nice, but the view is the real sell. A guy at the top said he'd come a year prior and was unable to see Fujisan as it was cloudy so apparently what started out as an extremely cloud day, turned into a beautiful bundle of luck. I really really emphasise getting there early like I did. There were only 4 other people there with me, but on the way down, there were dozens of people on there way up, around 9:15, and apparently it is normally crowded. They technically don't allow tripods, but I don't really see any way they'd stop you since there's no employees or guards. I never got an answer, so hopefully I can help someone else who's got the same question. For the shot, you'll want a relatively wide angle lens. I shoot canon, so brought the 16-35f4 and I used it on my m50.Show less

Wow! One of Japan's iconic photo ops. Mission completed yesterday. We arrived around 0900 on 20 May 2018 and mistakenly drove up to the mini parking area right at the pagoda. Kinda disappointed since I did want to walk up/down those 400 stairs... Oh well. Got there and the pagoda's 50 feet away. Walk up to the right to get to the viewing platform where everyone was waiting for the clouds to clear so Fuji-san would be visible. Voila, waited about 10 minutes and the clouds began dispersing. A great, great, great photo op when you're in the Fujiyoshida area and lucky for me only an hour drive along the expressway from where I live!

It's a must to see if you want to see both the 5 story Pagoda and Mount Fuji at the same time, just like in the postcards. However... Be ready to climb those 397 stairs one way. Worse case scenario, take a taxi shuttle nearby the restroom.