Koyodai Observatory

Totally not worth it. There are other spots which give a better view of Mount Fuji and it’s free. The drive up there was stressful, the dirt road was narrow and it’s not easy to maneuver. It’s single lane with some parts wider to accommodate 2 cars. And after the stressful drive, the view wasn’t magnificent at all. We were then asked to pay 300 Yen each to go up one floor to the observatory deck. We didn’t, the group that hike up didn’t pay too. We both reckoned we won’t see much. So it’s totally not worth to drive up that stressful road for that view.

Beautiful 360 deg view from the top in which you need to pay 200 yen each (free for young kids). Mt Fuji was blocked by the clouds, very cold up here (Oct 2022). We can see Lake Mototsu, Lake Saiko and Lake Kawaguchiko. Overall very satisfying view but nothing much else to do here. Nice old lady manning the store, you can buy photocards, postcards and some drinks. We drove our car up there and the road was very bumpy with lots of rocks. Drive slowly to preserve your tyres if you don't have a 4WD. Was it worth it? 6/10 for me.

Beautiful observatory! Mount Fuji can be seen so closely and it's even more beautiful in full autumn. Take the blue bus and then follow the road to reach the top. There is a 300 yen entry fee to enter the observatory. The walking/car route to the observatory is also very beautiful in autumn.

You can see Fuji, of course, but if you walk on foot up higher for about 10 to 15 minutes, you can get a great view of what looks like an ocean of mist underneath the mountains. Only early in the morning.

Very nice view. It's about a 15-20m hike up. There is a little souvenir store up top. It cost 200¥ to go on top of the roof but the 360° view is worth it