Mount Fuji Panoramic Ropeway Guide: Explore Tenjozan Park & Its Hidden Shrine

Tenjozan Park at Lake Kawaguchi is one of the most popular spots around Mt. Fuji.
You can get a wide, stunning view of Mt. Fuji from the top, and the cable car makes it super easy to reach the summit, one big reason why so many people come here.

Besides the park, there’s also a small shrine called Komitake-Jinja Shrine at the top that’s worth visiting.

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Mount Fuji Panoramic Ropeway

There are two ways to reach Tenjozan Park:
take the ropeway or hike up the mountain.

Most visitors take the ropeway, it’s only a 3-minute ride to the top.

• One-way: ¥600
• Round-trip: ¥1000

If you enjoy hiking, you can walk up the gentle mountain trail next to the ropeway. It takes about 40 minutes.

When we arrived at the ropeway station in the afternoon, we were greeted by a never-ending line.
The queue stretched from the slope above all the way down to the shops below, it was honestly shocking.

Just by looking at the crowd, we guessed it would take 100–120 minutes before we could finally get on the cable car 😵‍💫

Outside the station, there weren’t many signs for ticketing.
We only saw the ticket counter once we were close to entering the building.
A notice said one person from each group could purchase tickets while others continued waiting.
Group visitors could buy at the counter, while individual visitors could use the ticket machines to save time.

While standing in line, you’ll notice rabbit and tanuki characters everywhere, these come from the Japanese folktale “Kachi-kachi Yama.”

Tenjozan Park

After the long wait, we finally boarded the cable car!

As it climbed the mountain, the view slowly opened up, Mt. Fuji and Lake Kawaguchi appeared in front of us like a giant painting.

When we reached the 1075-meter summit, we found ourselves surrounded by crowds.
The restaurants and souvenir shops were packed, and the best viewing spots along the railings were all taken.

The good thing is: no matter where you walk, you can still get a beautiful view of Mt. Fuji.

The mountain looks incredibly clear on sunny days, just like a calm, silent guardian standing in the distance.

Besides Fuji, you can also overlook the entire Lake Kawaguchi area from here.

At the top, there’s also the famous Instagram swing, but the line was way too long, so we skipped it.

The Story of Kachi-Kachi Yama

At both the ropeway station and Tenjozan Park, you’ll find rabbit and tanuki decorations.
Legend says this area is the setting of the old Japanese folk tale “Kachi-kachi Yama.”

You can read the story on the walls while waiting for the cable car.

But be warned, this tale is surprisingly dark and nothing like the cute bunny-and-tanuki it appears to be 🤫

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A long time ago, an elderly couple lived by farming.
A mischievous tanuki often stole from their fields, so the old man set a trap and caught him.

While the old man was away, the tanuki begged the old woman to release him, promising to behave.
She believed him, but once freed, he attacked and killed her, cooked her into soup, disguised himself as her, and tricked the old man into eating it.
Then he ran back to the mountains.

A rabbit heard what happened and vowed revenge.

First, he invited the tanuki to collect firewood.
On the way back, he struck flint stones—kachi kachi—and set the wood on the tanuki’s back on fire.
When the tanuki got burned, the rabbit pretended to help by applying chili paste as “medicine,” causing even more pain.

Later, he asked the tanuki to go fishing.
The rabbit used a wooden boat but tricked the tanuki into using a mud boat.
In the middle of the lake, the mud boat melted and began to sink.
As the tanuki panicked, the rabbit hit him with a paddle, and the tanuki drowned.

And so, the rabbit avenged the old woman.

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A heavy story for such cute mascots, right?

Komitake-Jinja Shrine

After that dark folktale, let’s head to Komitake-Jinja Shrine.

The trail to the shrine starts off crowded, but the further you walk, the quieter it gets.
The path is beautiful, shaded by trees, filled with cool breezes and the smell of fresh greenery.

And yes, you can see Mt. Fuji along the way 👇

Komitake-Jinja Shrine has a deep historical connection with Mt. Fuji.

In 1825, the beacon tower on Tenjozan was moved to where the shrine now stands.
Locals built the shrine to pray for fire safety and for the well-being of mountain climbers.

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When we walked back down, the line for the ropeway was still long, but definitely shorter than the line going up.

Honestly, the crowds here are intense.
If you want a quiet place to enjoy Mt. Fuji peacefully, this might be challenging.
But the views? Absolutely unbeatable.
We were lucky the weather was amazing and got some great photos of Mt. Fuji.

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Tenjozan Park Information

• Address: 1163-1 Asakawa, Fujikawaguchiko Town, Yamanashi
• Hours: 8:30–17:00 (varies by season)
• Tickets:
  • Adults: ¥600 one-way / ¥1000 round-trip
  • Children: ¥300 one-way / ¥500 round-trip

How to Get to Tenjozan Park

• By Bus
  • Take the Lake Kawaguchi Sightseeing Bus, and get off at “Yuransen (Boat ride)” station, the ropeway station is right there.
• By Car
  • There are plenty of free parking spaces near Lake Kawaguchi at the foot of the hill.

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