Prince Hotels hotels in Mount Fuji

Mount Fuji has always been one of Japan's most iconic natural landmarks, but not all tourists may know the closest city to this majestic peak is Kofu. Indeed, Mount Fuji is merely the most famous of the many mountain peaks which surround the Yamanashi Prefecture capital in the Kofu Basin. Mount Fuji's climbing season happens during the summer months of July and August, while the middle of April is the best time to admire the cherry blossoms from afar. Tourists can reach Kofu from Tokyo in as little as 90 minutes aboard the Kaiji or Azusa Limited express trains, but highway buses also travel to Kofu from Osaka, Tokyo, Kyoto, and all major airports.

Mount Fuji and its surrounding Fuji-Hakone-Izu National Park is one of the most serene day trips tourists can take from Tokyo. Experienced mountain climbers should have no trouble scaling Mount Fuji's summit as long as they layer their clothing, wear comfortable shoes, and take frequent rest breaks. The steep Mitake Shosenkyo gorge is another Fuji-Hakone-Izu National Park highlight.

Kofu's own tourist attractions include the Kai-Zenkoji Temple, which resembles its more famous Nagano namesake, and the Takeda Shrine, which hosts Kofu's biggest festival during the first weekend in April. The Takeda Shrine’s grounds include a Noh stage, a serene moat, and a treasure hall filled with armour and swords. Kofu Castle, first built in 1583, is the area's second most fortified castle after Tokyo's Edo Castle. Kofu also includes the Yamanashi Prefectural Science Centre and Prefectural Museum of Art.

Kofu's most famous foods are raw horse meat, houtou soup, and wine made from the region's grapes. A department store called Eclan offers free tastings of local wines in the Kofu Station building. The Eclan department store and its surrounding area is also the location of most Kofu restaurants. Kofu's main places to drink are a microbrewery, three pubs, and some traditional Japanese izakayas, informal Japanese pubs.

The Kofu Station building contains the Eclan department store and the station's surrounding area is considered Kofu's major shopping district. More traditional shops are found at the Orion Street Arcade. The Kofu City Shuttle is the easiest way for tourists without automobiles to travel to shops outside of the city centre. The Budonooka complex in the nearby city of Koshu contains a wine shop and tasting room alongside its onsen hot springs.