Tourist Base Kawaguchiko（Mt. Fuji Amazing view Café） — Restaurant in Fujikawaguchiko

On the morning of January 16, 2024, after arriving in Fujikawaguchiko Town via a bus from Tokyo Station.

I visited the Tourist Base Kawaguchiko, also known as the Mt. Fuji Amazing View Café. Conveniently located just a two-minute walk from Kawaguchiko Station, this establishment offers travelers a place to relax and enjoy panoramic views of Mount Fuji.

Upon arrival, we were warmly greeted by the staff, who explained the available time slots and the buffet offerings.

The main café area on the second floor features a buffet with a selection of home-cooked Japanese dishes, including Japanese curry and udon, as well as various snacks, desserts, and cakes.

While the food selection is modest, the primary allure of this café is the opportunity to relax and take in the stunning views of Mount Fuji.

The second floor provides seating with large glass windows, allowing guests to admire the scenery in comfort.

During our visit, a staff member played "Majulah Singapura," Singapore's national anthem, on the piano—a thoughtful gesture, as we had mentioned our nationality earlier. This personalized touch made our experience particularly memorable.

After enjoying the indoor amenities, we changed into provided sandals and ascended to the rooftop terrace.

Here, the unobstructed view of Mount Fuji was breathtaking, especially with the clear morning skies.

The rooftop was uncrowded, allowing us ample time for photography. A selfie stick was also available for guests who might have forgotten theirs.

Overall, the Mt. Fuji Amazing View Café offers a unique blend of light refreshments and unparalleled vistas.

It's an ideal spot for travelers seeking a serene environment to appreciate the beauty of Mount Fuji. I highly recommend a visit to this café for a...

Environment is clean. View is nice but then again on a good day, you can see Fujisan almost from literally anywhere. Don’t visit them just because of the view.

Service is minimal. It’s a buffet after all. I gave them 2 stars on service because I have this conspiracy theory that they intentionally provide small bowls and utensils for each dish and without a tray.

I think it is a trick they play so that there is no way you can carry big portions of food in one go. You will have to go back and forth a few times and a lot of time is wasted on that. You can’t eat much in 30 minutes.

Food was really mediocre. Beggars can’t be choosers. I visited them simply because none of the restaurants were open at the time of my visit and I was really hungry.

There was close to no meat in your curry although there was supposed to be some chicken or beef as adverised. False advertisement, maybe?!

Onigiri is nothing but below average local standard. You will be better off getting those from 7-11.

White rice was good, just like what you can find anywhere else in Japan.

Houtou was ok. Soup was nice but with the scoop they provided, you couldn’t possibly scoop up much of the soup.

Snacks were ok. Like those you could get outside.

No egg dishes. No meat. Basically a lot of carbs and sugar but no protein.

Verdict: 1000 yen for 30 min buffet for their mediocre food?! Not worth it. You would end up feeling cheated especially when you were starving and really needed good food. Don’t bother about the view as you could see Fujisan anywhere in a good day.

That money would be better spent with snacks from Lawson or 7-11 (and maybe...

Visited the Tourist Base store to rent e-scooters to tour around Lake Kawaguchiko. We had to resort to e-scooters as the nearby bike rental stores had all sold out of their bikes by 10:30 in the morning!

I would say that this was a blessing in disguise as travelling with an e-scooter was definitely more convenient than a bicycle (smaller frame / easier mobility / less effort needed to pedal).

The rental cost JPY 3,000 per pax for 5 hours (other time packages are available - 1 hour or overnight). While it is more expensive than a bicycle rental, I strongly believe that the aforementioned benefits outweigh the marginal cost.

One feedback is that the store could consider an all-day variation instead (basically return the scooter before the store closes) which I imagine would be a lot more popular with tourists.

Customer service was 5 stars! The staff allowed us to try out the e-scooters around the carpark before committing. They were also extremely accommodating to accept a later pickup as we decided to do another activity in the morning before beginning our 5 hour time-slot.

tldr; get an e-scooter, it makes touring around Lake Kawaguchiko...