On the night of January 2, 2026, I drove through heavy snow to reach Shoji Lake Hotel (精進レークホテル).
It was already late and dark. Snow was settling on the road and trees, and flakes were still blowing across the lake.
Even carrying the luggage in was awkward in the snow. The owner came outside to help, took a photo for us after we arrived, and handed us a small Mount Fuji-shaped cookie.
The hotel is not new. The building and room clearly showed their age.
But when I opened the window of my tatami room, that stopped feeling very important.
Lake Shoji and Mount Fuji almost at the window
Lake Shoji was directly in front of the hotel, with Mount Fuji rising across the water.
The hotel’s current official room information says that all guest rooms face Mount Fuji and the lake. In person, the view felt much closer than it looked in photographs, almost as if the lake and mountain had come right up to the window.
At first, the snowfall hid most of Mount Fuji. A little later, as the snow eased, the mountain appeared beyond the lake from the balcony.
Snow was quickly settling on the hotel roof and lakeside below.
With little bright light around the lake, the winter stars were easy to see too.
Even after the long snowy drive, I kept going back to the window.
A small open-air bath at dawn
The next morning, I woke before sunrise and used the shared open-air bath.
It was not a large bath.
But with snow still outside and cold winter air around me, sitting in the warm water felt unusually restorative. It was less about using another hotel amenity and more like a quiet, positive reset before the day began.
The hotel’s current official site lists an open-air bath, large public bath and sauna, and highlights views of Mount Fuji and the surrounding landscape from the bathing areas.
Walking by the lake before sunrise
After the bath, I walked down to the shore directly in front of the hotel.
Before sunrise, Mount Fuji was still mostly a dark silhouette and the lake was almost motionless.
As the sky brightened, the mountain began to appear on the surface of the lake.
The hotel’s room guide notes that when the wind drops and Lake Shoji becomes calm, a beautiful reflected Mount Fuji can appear. Seeing the water this quiet made that description easy to understand.
I also walked slowly along the shore instead of only looking toward the mountain.
There were almost no people around, and the fresh snow seemed to make everything even quieter. That short walk while watching Mount Fuji emerge was one of my favourite parts of the stay.
A completely different view after sunrise
As the sun reached the ridge, Mount Fuji changed quickly.
As the sun climbed higher, morning light spread across Mount Fuji and the lake, catching the last drifting snow.
The mountain that had disappeared into the dark the night before now showed its snowy ridges clearly.
Once the morning was fully bright, the scale of the lake and mountain became much easier to feel.
Looking back from the shore, the hotel itself finally came into view properly.
It is not a modern resort, and parts of the property clearly feel dated.
But the point of staying here was not new furniture or polished design. It was how close the hotel places you to Lake Shoji and Mount Fuji.
That was especially true in the tatami room, where simply sitting by the window and looking outside became the best part of the stay.
Why I would stay again
By checkout, the dated parts of the hotel were not what I remembered.
I remembered the owner coming out into the snow to help with our luggage, the small cookie and warm welcome, Lake Shoji and Mount Fuji filling the tatami-room window, the quiet open-air bath before sunrise, and walking beside the lake as the mountain slowly appeared in the morning light.
After only one night, the good moments were much stronger than any inconvenience.
If I return to Lake Shoji, I would happily stay here again.
Continue Exploring Oishi Park, with Mount Fuji Across Lake KawaguchikoPRACTICAL INFO
- Stayed: Jan 2–3, 2026 / 1 night
- Hotel: Shoji Lake Hotel / 精進レークホテル
- Address: 255 Shoji, Fujikawaguchiko, Minamitsuru, Yamanashi 401-0336
- My room: Tatami room
- View: The hotel currently states that all guest rooms face Mount Fuji and Lake Shoji
- Check-in: From 15:00 according to current official room information
- Check-out: By 10:00 the following day
- Bathing: Open-air bath, large public bath and sauna are currently listed; confirm current hours and conditions before arrival
- Room selection: The official booking page currently lists a Japanese room type marked ‘部屋風呂無し’ (no in-room bath). The official room information does not clearly confirm toilet availability for each room type, so if a private bathroom or toilet matters to you, check the exact room details or contact the hotel before booking.
- Dawn walk: The lakeshore is directly in front of the hotel; watch for snow and ice in winter
- Info checked: Sep 26, 2026
- Note: Rates, services and bathing conditions may vary by season and booking plan; check the official site before visiting
