Hikes in Japan: The Panorama Point Trail (パノラマ台)

BASIC INFORMATION

• Name: Panorama Point Trail (パノラマ台)
• Location: Lake Shoji, Japan
• Distance: 3.4 miles (5.5 km)
• Max Elevation: 4,317 feet (1,316 m)
• Elevation Gain: 1,415 feet (431 m)
• Time: 1.5-2.5 hours
• Difficulty: Easy
• More Information: 30 Day Hikes Near Tokyo

Google Earth Map of the Trail

Directions

The trailhead for this hike is located at Shoji Lake west of Tokyo.  Trains run regularly to Kawaguchiko from Shinjuku Station in Tokyo.  From Kawaguchiko a bus or taxi would need to be taken to reach the trailhead located near Tatego-Hama Beach.  The trailhead is located adjacent to the bus stop.

Accessing this trailhead is much easier if you have your own vehicle to drive due to the infrequent bus access to the lake.

Parking

There is a dirt parking located at Tatego-Hama Beach that on warm days and weekends is filled with campers and fishermen.  There is also across the street a large public parking lot which is where I parked at.

Narrative

Shoji Lake is the smallest of the Fuji Five Lakes, but has one of the best views of the iconic Mt. Fuji:

In search of even better views I decided to hike up the Panorama Point Trail near the lake.  I accessed the trailhead by walking a short distance up the sidewalk from the parking area.  Above me I could see the hills I would need to ascend to reach the viewpoint:

The trailhead is not marked in English, but it does have this sign written in Japanese that says “Panorama Dai Iriguchi” or Panorama Point Entrance in English.  Near the sign there was also a few vending machines making it very easy to find:

A short distance up the stairs from the trailhead there is a map that shows the hiking trails in the area.  From this trailhead there is a number of other mountains and even nearby Lake Motosuko that can be accessed:

From the hiking course sign the trail began an immediate steep ascent up the hillside:

One especially steep area of the trail had this rickety wooden bridge installed:

During the hike I would occasionally have an obscured view of Mt. Fuji along the way which served as a preview of the view to come:

Surprisingly during the ascent I only saw one other hiking group the whole time.  It took me about 40 minutes to reach the top of the ridgeline.  There I found a trail intersection where I followed the path on the left towards the Panorama Point summit:

There are other trails that branch off from the ridgeline.  However I simply stayed on the main trail and after a short distance I could myself on the summit of Panorama Dai also known as Panorama Point.  The summit had a small sign in Japanese that said Panorama Dai:

The summit also has one of the best views of Mt. Fuji that I have seen:

Below is a closer look at the the 3,776 meter Mt. Fuji where the vastness of the Aokigahara Forest can be seen:

The forest is popularly known as the “Suicide Forest” due to the high number of suicides that have occurred there.  The forest however is stunningly beautiful and features a number of trails that I have hiked before.  Using my Peak Visor app I was able to identify other geographic features around Mt. Fuji that rise from the Aokigahara Forest:

Here is the view looking back towards Kawaguchiko and the steep mountains that border it:

From Panorama Point I could just make out Saiko Lake which is one of the other Fuji Five Lakes near Kawaguchiko:

Since this mountain is called Panorama Point, it only made sense for me to take one last panorama picture of the beautiful view before descending back down the mountain:

Conclusion

The Panorama Point Trail is a fairly easy 3.4 mile (5.5 km) hike that took me less than 2 hours to complete.  The trail is steep in some areas and has a respectable 1,415 feet (431 m) of elevation gain, however for walkers with kids, most young children should be able to handle this hike.  The amazing view from the summit of Mt. Fuji gives this hike a huge payoff which makes the Panorama Point Trail a walk that is definitely worth checking out.