Fugaku Wind Cave

Attraction

Prefecture

Yamanashi

Type

Attraction

N/A

0 reviews

¥350

Entry Fee

Restaurant

About This Destination

A horizontal lava tube 201 m long in the Aokigahara forest, about 3°C inside, with ice that lasts through summer. Easier than the Narusawa Ice Cave next door: the walk is mostly level and takes about 15 minutes. Entry is 350 yen.

Of the two show caves on Route 139, this is the one to pick if your knees or your children would struggle with stairs. Fugaku Fuketsu is a horizontal lava tube, 201 m long, and the ceiling rises to 8.7 m in places, so most of the 15-minute walk is upright and fairly level. It stays at about 3°C, and ice pillars stand near the back even in August. The rock is dark basalt, with shelves along the walls where the lava level once stood. Until the early Showa period, people kept silkworm eggs here, where the cold held back their hatching. Like Narusawa, it has been a national natural monument since 1929. The cave sits in Aokigahara, the forest that grew over the 864 lava flow, and the Tokai Nature Trail passes the entrance; the operator runs guided walks through the forest that need booking. Without a car, timing is the catch: the Blue Line leaves Kawaguchiko only five times a day, and the last bus back from here goes at about 17:00. Narusawa Ice Cave is about 800 m east, and Saiko and Lake Shoji are a short drive west.

Location

Prefecture: Yamanashi

Address: Fujikawaguchiko, Yamanashi, Japan

Nearest Station: Kawaguchiko Station

Closed: Open every day. Hours can change with the weather or conditions inside the cave.

Hours note: Opens at 9:00 every day. Closing time changes through the year: 17:00 from March 16 to July 31, 17:30 from August 1 to October 15, 17:00 from October 16 to November 15, 16:30 from November 16 to February 15, 16:00 for the rest of February and 16:30 from March 1 to 15.

Best time to visit: Summer, for the cold air; any time of year as a short stop between the lakes

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Visitor Information

Credit Cards: Unknown

Official Website

Frequently Asked Questions

Should I visit the Wind Cave or the Ice Cave?

The Wind Cave is level and roomy, about 15 minutes, and fine for children and older visitors. The Ice Cave is shorter but almost all stairs with a 91 cm ceiling, and it turns away children under 4 or under 100 cm. They are 800 m apart and each costs 350 yen, so many people do both.

How much is entry?

350 yen for adults and 200 yen for elementary school children and younger. Tickets can also be bought in advance on a smartphone through the link on the official site, which lets you skip the ticket queue.