Shojiko is the smallest of the five picturesque lakes around Mount Fuji in Yamanashi Prefecture. This lake has a more placid feel and is less developed than the others, but it does bear a unique view of the mountain.
Lake Shoji and Mt. Fuji.
Fishing and boating are popular on the lake, and the so-called “Kodaki Fuji” view has some interesting symbolism behind its name. Shojiko’s western shore can also be used as an access point for the steep hiking trail up to the Panorama Dai observation point.
Kodaki Fuji
The bus stop for “Kodaki Fuji View Point” on Fujikyu’s Blue Line Omni Bus or Retro Bus will leave you in front of a small beach. As you walk down to the beach, you may start to get a feel for why the mountain is called “Kodaki Fuji” when seen from this point.
In the foreground, across the shimmering water, there is a tinier mountain that Fuji looms over, almost like a mother holding an infant in her arms. “Kodaki Fuji” means “Fuji cradling a child.”
Photo by: Joshua Meyer Kodaki Fuji
Panorama Dai
From the bus stop, you can hike the Mikuniyama Hiking Course up to Panorama Dai. In the wintertime, this trail is blanketed with dead leaves and can be slippery in places, yet the uphill trek culminates in a great visual reward.
As its name implies, Panorama Dai offers a sweeping, panoramic view of Mount Fuji from an elevation of 1,325 meters. You can also see Shojiko and Lake Motosuko, as well as the Aokigahara forest.
View from Panorama Dai.
Continuing onward past the lookout point, the trail connects to the neighboring mountain of Eboshi-dake before leading down to Lake Motosuko. This connectedness, plus the fact that both lakes are serviced by the Blue Line sightseeing buses, makes Shojiko ideal for combining with a trip to Lake Motosuko.
