The Switzerland of East Asia which was introduced to other nations long ago
Englishmen in the Meiji Era who took one year to explore around the base of Mt. Fuji remarked that the view of the mountain from Lake Shoji was the most beautiful, thus giving the name “Switzerland of East Asia” to the area. To bring further international fame, the first hotel to be built at the foot of Mt. Fuji, the Shoji Hotel, gathered visitors from all over the world. Lake Shoji is a lake rich in nutrients which include plankton and is also the No. 1 mecca in the Kanto region for the Japanese crucian carp which attracts many anglers from late April to around October. Recreational activities at the lake include canoeing and boating. Rental boats are also available along the shore so even beginners can enjoy making use of the placid lake.
The mysterious 6th lake, Akaike (Red Pond)
Within the Fuji Five Lakes, the three lakes of Shoji, Motosu and Sai basically share the same elevation, and even now, the water levels are linked and it is surmised that the lakes themselves are also linked underground. This underground connection is proven by the so-called sixth lake known as Akaike. A great amount of rain falls in the area and when the water levels of the three lakes rise, the mysterious Akaike appears nearby Lake Shoji. It is a small lake with a diameter of up to 50m that is a mysterious spectacle formed from the various large and small eruptions of Mt. Fuji that have been repeated countless times.
The views in the Lake Shoji area
Mt. Fuji can be viewed from Tatego Beach along the shores of Lake Shojiko with a small mountain seen in front of Mt. Fuji seeming to overlap with it. Because of this appearance of Mt. Fuji cradling this smaller mountain, it has been called “Kodaki Fuji” (Fuji cradling a child), and if the waters are still, even the reverse image of this phenomenon can also be seen. The Lake Shojiko Panorama is a popular observation point, but the view from the mountain ridge road heading to the Panorama from Sanpoubunzan is also a secret picturesque spot.