Yamanashi Prefecture is home to the famed Mt. Fuji and Fuji Five Lakes.
Yamanashi Prefecture is located in the Chubu Region. There are many sites in Yamanashi that date back to the Jomon Period. During the Sengoku Period, also known as the Warring States Period, before the unification of Japan, Takeda Shingen, a famed Japanese warrior, was the feudal lord of the Kai Province (present day Yamanashi). He had battled both Tokugawa Ieyasu and Oda Nobunaga in his career as a warrior. In the Meiji Period, sericulture, silk textiles, and wine production emerged during this time of westernization and industrialization in Yamanashi Prefecture. The capital of the prefecture is Kofu where the Shosenkyo Gorge can be found in the northern part of the city.
The prefecture borders Nagano, Saitama, Kanagawa, and Shizuoka Prefecture, which makes it landlocked. 78% of the prefecture is covered by densely wooded forests. It has a fertile central valley, which allows the prefecture to be the major producer of fruits like grapes, peaches, and plums. Japan’s most iconic landmark, Mt. Fuji, is located in the region. Mt. Fuji is a popular mountain to climb and the Fuji Five Lakes are an added bonus for visiting the area. In the western part of Yamanashi is the second tallest mountain in Japan Mount Kitadake. It is located in the Minami Alps where the eight fractured peaks of Mount Yatsugatake are also found. Some other notable attractions in Yamanashi Prefecture include Fuji Q Highland, Iyashi no Sato, Kubota Itchiku Art Museum, Kawaguchiko Onsen, Kachi Kachi Ropeway, Oshino Hakkai, and Fujisan Sengen Shrine.
Chubu | Yamanashi Prefecture
Mt Fuji
Mount Fuji is the tallest mountain in Japan and has been worshipped as a sacred mountain. The perfect cone shape of the mountain is iconic of Japan.
Chubu | Yamanashi Prefecture
Fuji Goko
Fuji-Goko is a collective term for the five lakes along the northern foot of Mt. Fuji, which towers at the border of southern Yamanashi and Shizuoka.