The view is one of the most iconic in Tokyo, but the places where you can see mount Fuji in Tokyo have become more scarce over the years. But some new locations give you a view much better than any spot in Edo. Read on to find out where.
When Tokugawa Ieyasu commissioned Edo Castle, he ordered a donjon (the central tower) that should be five stories high, taller than any other castle in Japan and have white roofs to compete with the snow-white triangle of Mt Fuji.
When it was built in 1607, the roofs were ornamented with gold; as the castle was re-built in 1623 and 1638, it became even more splendid — until it burned down in 1657, and was not rebuilt. The living quarters of the shogun were in a nearby building that was not affected by the fire, and by then the Tokugawa dynasty was so firmly established that it no longer needed the donjon to remind the feudal lords who were boss.
Which meant Mt Fuji ruled the view supreme.
You can clearly see the triangular cone of the tallest mountain in Japan from large parts of Tokyo, in the right season. The winter air in Tokyo is clear and crisp — and dry. Locals complain that it is so dry that their skin becomes chapped. The dry air makes it possible to see much further than in summer when the atmospheric haze obscures anything within only a few kilometers. It does not help that the majority of the rainy days during the year in Tokyo happen from May to mid-October.
When the castle donjon burned down, only one-story buildings were left in Edo. This made it easy to see Mt Fuji even from the slightest hill, and there are plenty of hills in Tokyo. Many of them have slopes in the direction of Mt Fuji, like ”Fujimizaka” (the slope where you can see Mt Fuji) in Nishi-Nippori.
In the 18th and early 19th century there was even a cult of Mt Fuji, with shrines to the mountain put up in many temple areas (who accommodated the shrines in those days). Since there were few obstructions to the view, the shrines were directly facing the mountain god. Or god mountain.
When Japan became modernized in the late 19th century, tall buildings quickly started to pop up — although first the Great Kanto Earthquake in 1923 and then the American air raids during WWII made short shrift of most buildings in Tokyo. The building boom did not take off for real until economic growth took hold in the 1970s, and Shinjuku was filled with skyscrapers.
Today, barring a few lucky places, you can not see Mt Fuji from street level in Tokyo. You have to go up a tall building to catch the view. And Tokyo has plenty of tall buildings.
In most cases, it is not feasible to combine getting the view of Mt Fuji with breakfast, although it is then that the mountain is at its most splendid. The sunrise in Tokyo in winter comes fairly late, between 06:30 and 06:50, but this is still too early for most restaurant floors in the Tokyo high-rise buildings to have opened.
The New Otani hotel — which is rather pricey — has a breakfast room where you can see Mt Fuji, and also a beautiful garden. The iconic Park Hyatt, known from the film “Lost In Translation” with Bill Murray and Scarlett Johansen, also has views of Mt Fuji (and the rest of Tokyo), although it is closed for renovation until October 2025.
It is more feasible to catch the sunset, although the sun will set behind Mt Fuji, creating a dramatic black shadow while the sky behind is lit in purples and pinks. Winter sunset in Tokyo happens early as well, around 16:30, which makes for a very late lunch or very early dinner.
If you do not want to book yourself for a meal, there are a couple of places you could go. The observation deck in the Sunshine City skyscraper in Ikebukuro may have been transformed into a quiet observation park, but that does not mean the views of Mt Fuji are gone. The exciting adventures have moved to Shibuya Sky, but there also the view of Mt Fuji also disappears as darkness falls.
There is of course one place where you can get a perfect view of Mt. Fuji. Although it requires advance reservation. Especially if you want to go to the restaurant, which requires reservation several days, if not weeks, in advance.
But when it comes to tall buildings, there is one place that has absolutely zero competition. Tokyo Sky Tree is by far the tallest building in Tokyo, and it has a restaurant (and bar) on top. You need reservations well in advance, both for the restaurant and for general tickets. The ticket is also a reservation for the elevators since the tower is so tall and there only are a few elevators.
You can only get two-thirds of the way up the tower, the rest is a broadcast antenna — and counterweights to balance the swinging of the tower during earthquakes. It got an unplanned field test during the Great Tohoku Earthquake in 2011, the only earthquake in Tokyo in a long time that has been strong enough to shake things off shelves.
Tokyo Sky Tree passed with flying colors, although the planned opening had to wait a couple of years for inspection and construction to finish. But it has proven itself to be safe. And it offers amazing views of Mount Fuji.
The mountain is also clearly visible from many locations north of Tokyo, even in the southern tips of Gunma and Tochigi prefectures, and the very western tip of Ibaraki — and mt Tsukuba, which is tall enough to give you a panoramic view of the entire Tokyo estuary.
You can also see Mt Fuji not only from many locations south of Tokyo, like Yokohama, Kamakura, and the Izu peninsula. And those who have the view know how to capitalize on it. The best view this author has heard of was the Nokia research center in Yokosuka Research Park, where the Finnish company had a sauna at the top of their building — with a splendid view of Mt Fuji.
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