Opening hours and admission for this place have not been checked yet, so none are shown. Check the official site
Our guide
Lake Motosu is the westernmost of the Fuji Five Lakes, on the border of Fujikawaguchiko and Minobu in southern Yamanashi. It is the third-largest of the five by area and the deepest, at up to 121.6 m — the ninth-deepest lake in Japan. Its surface lies at 900 m, the same as Lake Shōji and Lake Sai, which shows that the three were once a single lake, split by a huge lava flow from Mount Fuji. The remains of that flow now lie beneath the Aokigahara forest, and there is evidence that the three are still connected underground.
Aokigahara is about 3.2 km away and Lake Shōji about 3.6 km. We have not checked a public-transport route.
Written by japan-spots.com (2026-09-22) from the sources credited on this page. Distances are straight lines between map positions.
Photos
Photos from Wikimedia Commons, each under its own licence — see credits
- Lake Motosu03 — Captain76 :Nikon D90+TAMRON SP10-24mm · CC BY-SA 3.0 · source · resized
- ボート上からの富士山 — Shuhei chaser · CC BY-SA 3.0 · source · resized
- Tenshi Mountains from Mount Fuji (extracted with note) — Alpsdake · CC BY-SA 4.0 · source · resized
- Sunrise@Lake Motosuko — Shuhei chaser · CC BY-SA 3.0 · source · resized
- Mogrun in Lake Motosu — Alpsdake · CC BY-SA 4.0 · source · resized
- Lake Motosu (2015-12-17) — Alpsdake · CC BY-SA 4.0 · source · resized
- Lake Motosu04 — Captain76 · CC BY-SA 3.0 · source · resized
- Lake Motosu02 — Captain76 :Nikon D90+TAMRON SP10-24mm · CC BY-SA 3.0 · source · resized
What this place is
Lake Motosu (本栖湖, Motosu-ko) is the westernmost of the Fuji Five Lakes and located on the border of the towns of Fujikawaguchiko and Minobu in southern Yamanashi Prefecture near Mount Fuji, Japan. Lake Motosu is the third-largest of the Fuji Five Lakes in terms of surface area, and is the deepest, with a maximum water depth of 121.6 metres (399 feet), making it the ninth-deepest lake in Japan. Its surface elevation of 900 metres (3,000 feet) is the same as for Lake Shōji and Lake Sai, confirming that these three lakes were originally a single lake, which was divided by an enormous lava flow from Mount Fuji. The remnants of the lava flow are now under the Aokigahara Jukai Forest, and there is evidence to indicate that these three lakes remain connected by underground waterways.
Background text from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)
What to expect at this type of place: Lakes & falls
Getting there
We do not have step-by-step transit directions for this spot yet. Open the location on Google Maps for routes from where you are staying.
Traveler reviews
No reviews yet — be the first to share how it went.