山梨県 · Chubu Region

Yamanashi Hidden Gems

Yamanashi is a basin with no coastline and mountains on every horizon, and the two facts that matter most both come from that. First, the enclosed valley gets long hours of sun, low rainfall and a wide gap between day and night temperatures, which is exactly what fruit wants — the prefecture grows more grapes and peaches than any other, and the Katsunuma district has been making wine since the 1870s using Koshu, a pink-skinned grape that reached Japan along the Silk Road centuries earlier. Second, Mt. Fuji sits on the southern border, and the Fuji Five Lakes are dammed lava flows at its foot, which is why the views from Kawaguchiko and the Chureito pagoda place the mountain across water or over rooftops rather than at the end of a trail. Kofu, in the middle, was the Takeda clan's base, and the local castle was never a grand keep because Takeda Shingen preferred a fortified residence.

12 spots

Climate & Best Season

Landlocked and dry — hot summers, cold clear winters with little snow in the basin. Winter mornings give the sharpest Fuji views.

Famous For (Food)

Hoto noodles
Grapes & peaches
Koshu wine
Torimotsu-ni

Signature Sights

Fuji Five Lakes
Chureito Pagoda
Shosenkyo Gorge
Katsunuma wineries

When to Go

Fuji shows itself far more often in winter than in summer: cold, dry mornings from December to February give the clearest views, though the lakes are cold and some boat services thin out. The climbing season on the mountain itself is only early July to early September, and huts and trails are busy throughout. Grapes ripen from August to October and peaches through July and August, with pick-your-own orchards around Katsunuma and Fuefuki. The basin is hot in summer, above 33°C, and cold and dry in winter with little snow. Shosenkyo gorge colours in early November, and the Fuji Shibazakura festival runs mid-April to late May.

Getting Around

The JR Chuo line limited express reaches Kofu from Shinjuku in about 90 minutes, and the Fujikyu line branches at Otsuki for Kawaguchiko; direct trains and highway buses also run from Shinjuku to Kawaguchiko in around two hours. Highway buses are often the faster option for the Fuji side. Once there, the Kawaguchiko sightseeing buses circle the lakes, but the further lakes and the Chureito pagoda area reward a car, as do the Katsunuma wineries — which is the standard problem, since tasting and driving do not mix. Several wineries sit within walking distance of Katsunuma-Budokyo Station for that reason.

Local Food

Hoto is flat wheat noodles simmered in miso broth with pumpkin and root vegetables, thick enough to be eaten with a spoon, and it is a winter dish that Takeda-era soldiers are said to have carried the ingredients for. The Koshu grape makes a dry, light white that has gone in and out of international fashion; Katsunuma has dozens of small wineries pouring it. Peaches and grapes are sold from roadside stands from July to October. Torimotsu-ni, chicken offal glazed in a sweet soy reduction, is a Kofu speciality that started in a soba shop.

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笛吹市 (Fuefuki)

富士河口湖町 (Fujikawaguchiko)

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