Which five lakes are known as the 'Fuji Five Lakes'? How were they formed?

Mount FujiLake FormationJapanese geographyNatural LandscapesVolcanic Geology
Created At: 8/14/2025Updated At: 8/18/2025

Hello! I'm very familiar with the topic of the Fuji Five Lakes – they're truly the essence of a trip to Mount Fuji. Let me give you the details.

First, what are the five Fuji Five Lakes?

The Fuji Five Lakes (Fuji-goko) is the collective name for five lakes located at the northern base of Mount Fuji. Listed from east to west, they are:

  1. Lake Yamanaka (Yamanakako)

    • Features: The largest lake in both surface area and elevation. Its open views attract wintering swans (earning it the nickname "Swan Lake"), making it a popular spot for water sports and camping.

  2. Lake Kawaguchi (Kawaguchiko)

    • Features: The most famous and accessible lake, attracting the most tourists. It has the longest shoreline, numerous hot spring hotels, and art museums. The view of the "Upside-down Fuji" (the mountain's reflection in the lake) is an iconic classic.

  3. Lake Sai (Saiko)

    • Features: A very quiet and pristine lake. Encircled by the Aokigahara Sea of Trees (that famous primeval forest), it feels exceptionally tranquil. Hikers and campers love it here.

  4. Lake Shōji (Shojiko)

    • Features: The smallest lake. Viewing Fuji from here reveals a small hill (Ōmuroyama) in front of the mountain, creating an appearance of Fuji cradling a child. This unique scene is called "Kodakara Fuji" (Fuji Carrying a Child).

  5. Lake Motosu (Motosuko)

    • Features: The deepest lake with the highest water clarity. If you look at the back of a Japanese 1000 yen bill, you'll see the depiction of Mount Fuji was photographed from the northwest shore of this very lake! It's a sacred spot for photography enthusiasts.

Mount Fuji on the 1000 yen bill (Image Source: FujiSAN NET)

So, how were these lakes formed? – Mount Fuji's "Masterpiece"

In a nutshell: They are all barrier lakes formed by volcanic lava flows from Mount Fuji blocking rivers.

Sound a bit technical? Let me break it down with an analogy to make it easy:

  1. Long Ago: Where the lakes are now, there were valleys with rivers flowing through them.

  2. Mount Fuji "Acted Up": As an active volcano, Fuji has erupted many times in history. During an eruption, massive amounts of scorching lava (magma that flows onto the surface) would pour out of the crater and spread down the slopes.

  3. Lava Became a "Dam": These powerful lava flows surged into the valleys, acting like natural, huge walls of concrete, completely damming the original river channels.

  4. Water Pooled into Lakes: Blocked by the lava "dams," the water from upstream rivers had nowhere to go. It simply started pooling up behind the dams. Over years and years, these pools filled the valleys, forming the lakes we see today.

An interesting fact:

Actually, Lake Sai, Lake Shōji, and Lake Motosu were originally a single huge lake called "Seno-umi". During a massive eruption in the year 864 AD, a vast lava flow (which formed the land now covered by the Aokigahara Forest) crashed into this large lake, forcibly splitting it into the three smaller lakes we know now.

So, although they are five distinct lakes today, their underground water systems may still be interconnected – like long-lost brothers who remain closely connected at heart.

In short, the Fuji Five Lakes are natural landscapes created by Mount Fuji, the "earth artist," using volcanic lava, each possessing its own unique charm!

Created At: 08-14 09:14:43Updated At: 08-14 15:30:14