Paddling in Japan: Lake Motosu (本栖湖)

Basic Information

• Name: Lake Motosu (本栖湖)
• Where: Fujiyoshida, Japan
• Distance: 3.5 miles
• Time: 1-2 hours
• Difficulty: Easy
• More Information: Activity Japan

Google Earth Map of the Course

Directions

Lake Motosu is the most isolated of the Fuji Five Lakes and thus makes it more difficult to access by public transportation.  There are a few buses that travel to the lake, but it is definitely more easily accessed by automobile for those who are driving.  More information about public transportation to Lake Motosu can be read at this link.

Parking

There are small parking lots located around Lake Motosu, but the biggest is the dirt lot at the Motosuko Campground.  That is where I found parking when I went to the lake on a busy summer weekend.  The large dirt lot was jammed packed with visitors, but I was able to find a space.

Narrative

I have been meaning to get my Aquaglide Deschutes 110 Kayak out this past summer into one of Japan’s lakes.  So on a beautiful weekend morning I made the drive from the Tokyo area over to the Fuji Five Lakes region.  With five lakes to choose from I decided to kayak in the most distant one named Lake Motosu (本栖湖).  It took me about 2.5 hours to drive to the lake from the Tokyo area via the Chou expressway to Kawaguchiko.  From there it was a pleasant country road drive to the lake.  Once I reached the lake I had to drive around a little bit to find a parking spot because the lake was absolutely packed with visitors.  I pulled into the Motosu Campground and there I found some open spots to park at.  From there I strapped the kayak bag onto my back and I walked across the street to the short trail that led to the lake:

Once I reached the shore of the lake I could see there was plenty of paddlers already in the water.  For those that do not own their own kayak, there are kayak and paddle board rental businesses near the lake and many more back in the city of Kawaguchiko:

I then proceeded to unpack my bag and put together my Aquaglide Deschutes 110 Kayak.  I was definitely getting curious looks from people that have never seen an inflatable kayak before.  As I inflated the kayak I made sure to do so in an area along the shore with out sharp rocks.  The lava rock that composes the shore was pretty sharp in some places.  After about 10 minutes I had my kayak ready to go:

Once I got into the water to push out my kayak, I found it a little chilly, but not too bad.  Once I started paddling the water was very calm due to very little wind that day.  Another thing I noticed was how quiet paddling on the lake was because no motorboats are allowed on Lake Motosu:

Another thing noticeable about Lake Motosu is how it is almost completely surrounded by mountains:

The shoreline where I pushed off from is the only one that does not have a mountain behind it.  This section of the shoreline features the Aokigahara Forest. This forest is also known as the “Suicide Forest” due to the amount of suicides that happen here every year.  This impressive forest has grown over an ancient lava flow which is full of nutrients that has allowed a thick forest to grow over it.  Before this lava flow happened four of the Fuji Five Lakes, Saiko Lake, Lake Motsu, Lake Shoji, & Lake Kawaguchiko were all connected as one giant lake.  The lava flow cut them off from each other, but it is believed that the lakes may still be connected by underground lava tubes.  All of this lava came from an eruption of Mt. Fuji back in 864 CE.  This world famous peak and symbol of Japan is easily seen hovering over Lake Motosu:

The views of Mt. Fuji from Lake Motosu is famous in Japan because it can be seen on the back of the 1,000 yen bank note:

As I paddled across the lake, the views of Mt. Fuji remained behind me as I took in the views of the emerald greens hills that surrounded me:

On the far end of the lake I came upon a beach that had a number of people camped out on it and appearing to have a good time.  I could even hear a lot of loud music playing which is not something I hear very often in Japan’s outdoors:

Paddling across the lake was about 1.75 miles in distance.  I pulled my Aquaglide Deschutes 110 Kayak onto the far shore to get out and stretch my sore back a bit before trying to paddle across the lake again:

Here is a panorama view of the far side beach:

After spending about 15 minutes on the far side of Lake Motosu stretching and drinking some water, I then proceeded to paddle back across the lake again.  As paddled in the opposite direction I did not have any views of Mt. Fuji because it was blocked by the mountains to my right, but I could see the Aokigahara Forest directly ahead of me:

As I got about half way across the lake I began to have views again of the ubiquitous Mt. Fuji:

I had beautiful views of Mt. Fuji throughout the rest of my paddle back to the beach I started from.  About 1.5 hours after I began paddling, I found myself returning to the beach I had started from.  In total a paddled 3.75 mile round trip across the lake:

Conclusion

Paddling on Lake Motosu is a must for anyone who wants to experience paddling in Japan.  The area is extremely beautiful, complete with a famous view of the iconic Mt. Fuji. No powerboats are allowed on the lake which makes for a quiet and peaceful paddle.  This also makes it a great lake for families and novice paddlers who don’t have to worry about getting hit by boats.  Experienced paddlers should likewise enjoy this lake due to its great views and nice waters.