Chureito Pagoda

The pagoda stands on the slope of Arakurayama above Fujiyoshida, and the reason it is one of the most photographed objects in Japan is geometry: from the viewing platform above it, the five-storey vermilion tower sits in the middle distance with Fuji directly behind, and in April a line of cherry trees fills the foreground. It is a modern structure, built in 1963 as part of a memorial park, and the platform above it exists specifically because of where people stood to take the photograph. Getting there means 398 steps from the park entrance, or a longer switchback path for anyone who would rather not. The two conditions are cloud and season: Fuji is clear far more often in the cold months, and the cherry window is about a week in mid-April, when the platform is managed with a queue and a time limit.

What you actually see

• The alignment - pagoda in the middle distance with Fuji directly behind.
• 398 steps - the direct route up from the park entrance, or a longer path.
• Cherry in April - a foreground line of blossom for about a week in mid-April.
• A 1963 structure - modern, built as part of a memorial park.

When to go

Mid-April for cherry with Fuji; November to February for the clearest mountain. Two hours.

Honest expectations

The blossom week brings a managed queue with a time limit on the platform. Fuji is hidden much of the year, especially in summer. The steps are steep and there is no lift. The pagoda itself is modern and small.

Nearby

Kawaguchiko is west; Oshino Hakkai is south-west.