Sai-ko Kōmoriana

Fuji Five Lakes


Despite being known as the Bat Cave, this 350m-long complex has neither bats nor caped crusaders. Nevertheless, it's still fun to scramble over the ancient lava flows, and in the car park you'll find a trailhead for marked hikes through Aokigahara Forest, including a 3km tramp to Fugaku Fuketsu. The green-line bus stops here.

A free museum by the entrance is dedicated to a fish, the kunimasu, a deepwater trout discovered in Sai-ko in 2010, 70 years after it was believed to be extinct.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Fuji Five Lakes attractions

1. Kōyō-dai

0.78 MILES

There are good views of Mt Fuji from this lookout building, especially popular in autumn when the Aokigahara Forest is a sea of red. It's a 30-minute walk…

2. Sai-ko Iyashi-no-Sato Nenba

0.95 MILES

On a serene wooded hillside facing Mt Fuji is this faithful re-creation of a peasant village that was washed away by a landslide in 1966. Visitors can…

3. Narusawa Hyōketsu

1.35 MILES

Not for the claustrophobic, the Narusawa Hyōketsu (ice cave) was formed by lava flows from an eruption of Mt Fuji in 864. It takes about 10 minutes to…

4. Fugaku Fuketsu

1.42 MILES

The Wind Cave (also known as the Lava Cave) was used to store silk-worm cocoons in the past. Getting a combination ticket for this and Narusawa Hyōketsu…

5. Ide Sake Brewery

5.25 MILES

This small-scale brewery has been producing sake using Mt Fuji spring water for 21 generations. Tours (9.30am and 3pm; 40 minutes) provide a fascinating…

6. Kubota Itchiku Art Museum

5.46 MILES

In a Gaudí-influenced building above the lake, this charming museum displays the kimono art of Kubota Itchiku (1917–2003). You might see Mt Fuji in the…

7. Fujisan World Heritage Center

5.59 MILES

The flashy South Hall of this visitor centre has imaginative, interactive displays detailing the spiritual and geological history of the mountain, as well…

8. Fujiyama Art Museum

6.11 MILES

Should the weather thwart your chances of seeing the real thing, this contemporary gallery space contains a fine collection of Mt Fuji paintings by…