Sankodai Viewpoint was added to Your Favorites!
Fuji-Hakone-Izu NP, Yamanashi
Claim this place to tell your story your way.
In 864, Fuji’s Jōgan eruption sent lava into ancient Lake Senoumi, separating the waters that became Saiko and Shojiko. The wide Aokigahara forest below Sankodai now grows on that same lava landscape.
The forest below looks timeless, but Aokigahara is only about 1,200 years old. Its soil is merely a little over 10 cm deep, so trees and moss take root on porous, uneven lava instead of deep earth.
Sankodai’s view reveals Fuji’s volcanic family: smaller side cones line its flank. Ōmuroyama, the largest at 1,468 m, erupted about 3,000 years ago; the 864 lava flow skirted it, leaving distinct vegetation.
An old shop once stood near today’s deck. In 2014, archaeologists found its excavation and a stone wall had disturbed the planned site; the test dig uncovered no artifacts—everyday history beneath the panorama.
Sankodai sits on the 1,697-km Tokai Nature Trail between Tokyo and Osaka. Narusawa Village says this scenic ridge section was the trail’s first model course—a local stretch that became the route’s original showcase.
