Clamber, crawl and climb through the Fugaku Wind Cave and the Narusawa Ice Cave during your subterranean visit. Both lava caves are located inside Aokigahara Forest at the base of Mount Fuji and are always popular with both locals and visitors.
Lava caves are seemingly everywhere throughout Aokigahara Forest and the Lake Saiko area, formed by lava flows from Mount Fuji. Fugaku Wind Cave and Narusawa Ice Cave, both national monuments of Japan, aretwo of the most famous. If you visit during warm summer months, dress appropriately for the natural chill, as the temperature in the caves is approximately 37 F (3 C).
Enter the 659-foot-long (201-meter) wind cave through a gaping hole in the lush forest. Notice shelves that until the Meiji era were used to carefully store silkworm eggs, taking advantage of the cave’s natural refrigeration. Walk the observation trail, which takes about 15 minutes and features icicles, lava shelves, ropy lava and glowing blue-white moss.
Combine your visit to Fugaku Wind Cave with the undulating Narusawa Ice Cave, about five minutes away by car. At the east entrance to Aokigahara Forest, the cave continues to be used to store ice for use throughout the year. As you wander, be aware of the low ceilings and stairs that may be slippery. The entire cave is 502feet (153 meters) long, with a height ranging from 3 to 12 feet (1 to 4 meters). Depending on the time of year you visit, the icicles may be as long as 10 feet (3 meters) with a 1.6-foot (50-centimeter) diameter.
To visit the Fugaku Wind Cave, travel on the Omni Bus Green Line from Kawaguchiko Station to Fugaku-Fuketsu for about 50 minutes. Find the Narusawa Ice Cave about 15 minutes east of the Wind Cave. Alternatively, take the regular bus from Kawaguchiko toward Lake Motosuko and Shin-Fuji Station. To visit the Wind Cave, get off at Fuketsu for the Ice Cave, get off at Hyoketsu. Open hours are seasonally dependent. There is a small entrance fee.
