Mt. Fuji

Mount Fuji is Japan's highest mountain at 3,776 meters, a free-standing volcanic cone on the border of Yamanashi and Shizuoka prefectures southwest of Tokyo. Its silhouette is the country's most recognized image, sacred for centuries and climbed by pilgrims long before tourists arrived.

The official climbing season falls in summer, when mountain huts open and hikers time their final push to catch sunrise from the summit. The rest of the year the mountain is for viewing: the Fuji Five Lakes region and the Chureito Pagoda frame the classic shots, with winter air the clearest.

Clouds hide the peak more often than photos suggest, so build in a second chance, ideally a lakeside night at Kawaguchiko. Buses and the Fuji Excursion train reach the lakes from Tokyo, and Hakone offers the famous across-the-water view. Respect the altitude if you climb; the ascent is real.