Most people see Mount Fuji from a distance – either from the Shinkansen window or briefly between buildings in Tokyo. Hanz Outdoor Resort, set directly on the northern shore of Lake Kawaguchiko, offers something meaningfully different. Here, the mountain dominates the view from your villa terrace, from the lake at dawn, and from the open-air thermal baths fed by natural waters sourced from Fuji itself. It's a base that works both for first-time visitors who want to understand why this mountain holds such significance in Japanese culture and for repeat travellers ready to explore the less-visited corners of the Fuji Five Lakes region.
The resort has also been featured in National Geographic, Time Out, and described by Metro UK as “the most beautiful campsite they had ever seen”. Here are a few reasons why…
The accommodation
Hanz offers three distinct styles of stay. The private villas are the headline option - spacious, well-designed, and each fitted with an indoor jacuzzi filled with natural thermal water from Mount Fuji. The views from the terrace are uninterrupted, and the setup is genuinely private. These are the rooms to book if the mountain view and the sense of having your own space really matter to you.
The PAO domes offer a different experience - geodesic glamping tents with private facilities that sit within the forest, closer to the ground and the sounds of the natural surroundings. For those who want to feel more immersed in the outdoor setting without sacrificing comfort, they're a strong choice.
The Outdoor Residence is a restored traditional Japanese guest house, suited to those who want to stay in a space that reflects the local architectural character of the Yamanashi region. All three options share access to the resort's communal facilities, including outdoor saunas, communal bathing areas, and the main terrace overlooking the lake and mountain.
The setting and what makes it distinctive
Lake Kawaguchiko sits at around 830 metres above sea level in Yamanashi Prefecture, roughly 100 kilometres west of Tokyo and reachable in under two hours. The lake is one of the Fuji Five Lakes - a cluster that formed from ancient lava flows - and offers some of the most direct views of the mountain available anywhere, particularly in the early morning when the water is still and the reflection is clear.
What separates Hanz from other accommodation in the area is the combination of that direct Fuji view with the quality of the on-site experience. Dinner is served BBQ-style in the open air, with locally sourced ingredients and the mountain as a backdrop. The thermal baths use natural hot spring water rather than standard heated water - a distinction that matters both practically and in terms of the broader onsen tradition in Japan. The barrel sauna, positioned facing the lake, has become one of the resort's most talked-about features.
What to do in the Kawaguchiko area
For first-time visitors to Japan, the immediate surroundings provide most of what's needed. Canoeing on Lake Kawaguchiko at sunrise puts you directly on the water with Fuji rising ahead of you - one of the cleaner ways to experience the mountain without crowds. E-biking around the lake is a practical and scenic way to cover more ground, passing small shrines, lakeside villages, and viewpoints that don't appear in most guidebooks.
For repeat visitors who already know Tokyo, Kyoto, and Osaka, the Kawaguchiko area opens up a different side of Japan. The Yamanashi region produces some of the country's most respected wine - the Katsunuma wine district, around 45 minutes from the resort, has over 30 wineries and is where Japanese winemaking began. Local sake distilleries offer a different angle on the same agricultural tradition. The Oshino Hakkai, a cluster of eight ponds fed by snowmelt from Mount Fuji, is a 20-minute drive and one of the most photographed spots in the region for good reason - the water clarity is remarkable. Closer still, the Chureito Pagoda at Fujiyoshida gives you the classic five-storey pagoda and Fuji composition that has defined how the world pictures Japan.
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