Jōtōgamine Viewpoint

What kind of place it is

Jotogamine is a car park laid out as an open lawn on the southern side of Taisekiji (Kamijo, Fujinomiya), the head temple of the Nichiren Shoshu school. Taisekiji was founded in 1290 by the priest Nikko Shonin, and its precincts sprawl over roughly 70 hectares. Jotogamine sits in one corner of them, left as bare grass apart from the driving lanes, so you can stay parked in your own car and still look straight out at Mount Fuji, which makes it a slightly unusual spot.

Highlights

The finest sight here is spring cherry blossom framing Mount Fuji. The temple grounds hold about 5,000 Somei-Yoshino cherry trees and around 150 weeping cherries, usually at their peak from late March to early April. The Fujinomiya City Tourism Association lists the Somei-Yoshino of Jotogamine, alongside the weeping cherries on the temple approach, among the city's finest blossom viewing places. Come outside blossom season and the view is unchanged: Mount Fuji across the grass, visible right down to its lower slopes. The precincts also contain a five-storey pagoda and the Sanmon gate, both Important Cultural Properties, so the two can easily be seen on the same walk.

How to enjoy it and the best time of day

The natural way to spend time here is to spread a mat on the grass and watch Mount Fuji at your leisure. The mountain is less likely to be wrapped in cloud during the early hours, so a morning visit after check-out works well. You are free to stroll the grounds, but entry inside the halls is limited to Nichiren Shoshu believers and those accompanying them. This is a place of worship, so please keep things quiet.

Admission and how long to allow

Neither the walk nor the parking costs anything, and the car park is open around the clock (as of 2026). Allow about 30 minutes to an hour for a stroll with photo stops, or one to two hours if you plan to unpack a lunch box during the cherry blossom season. Please check the notices on site for the latest conditions.

Getting there from our hotel

Our hotel stands close to the Fuji interchange on the Tomei Expressway. Take the Nishi-Fuji Road, head north on National Route 139, turn left at the Tonokami intersection and continue towards Kamijo: roughly 30 minutes by car, about 17 km. By public transport, take a bus bound for Taisekiji from JR Fuji Station or Shin-Fuji Station, a ride of about 40 to 45 minutes.