Cottage Tozawa Center Kawaguchiko

Thirteen rental cottages with a spectacular view of Mount Fuji and Lake Kawaguchi

Cottage Tozawa Center Kawaguchiko is a set of rental cottages standing on the lakeshore in the Oishi district, on the north shore of Lake Kawaguchi. The site is the former villa grounds of Prince Shimazu, with Mount Fuji and Lake Kawaguchi in front and the forests of the Misaka Mountains behind, and most of the cottages enjoy a spectacular view of Mount Fuji and the lake, making it one of the top locations in the Fuji Five Lakes area. It is about 15 minutes by car from the Kawaguchiko IC on the Chuo Expressway, and about 15 minutes from Kawaguchiko Station by Retro Bus (Omnibus).

Seven cottage types, for 2 guests up to a maximum of 20

The cottages come in seven types, A through G, for 13 cottages in all. You can choose to match the size of your family: Types A and B for 10 guests, Type C for 8, Type D for 6, Type E for 4, and Types F and G for 2 to 4. Every cottage has a full set of bedding, a bath, a toilet, a hair dryer, a heater, air conditioning, a TV, an indoor gas kitchen, a refrigerator, a microwave, a rice cooker, a full set of cooking utensils and tableware, and Wi-Fi. The layouts vary too, with Japanese-style tatami rooms, bedrooms, living rooms and lofts, and some cottages have a Japanese-style tatami room where the family can sleep side by side on futons. There is no linen charge and no heating charge, and since the rate is per cottage, the larger the family group, the lower the cost per person. Adding a baby or toddler costs 3,000 yen per child, and elementary school children are from 4,000 yen.

A covered all-weather BBQ house for barbecuing with children

The grounds have a covered, all-weather BBQ house, so you can barbecue with your children even on a rainy day. A gas burner for outdoor barbecuing is available to rent for a fee, and you can also use the BBQ ingredient ordering service (1,500 yen per serving, from two servings, ordered by phone between one month and one week before your stay) or order an onigiri (rice ball) breakfast box (700 yen per serving, for 2 or more people). There is no grocery store or convenience store nearby, so plan ahead and either arrange your food in advance or shop for it on the way.

What to know before you stay

Amenities such as towels, toothbrushes, soap, shampoo and pajamas are not provided, so please bring your own; if you forget something, the shop sells them. Check-in is from around 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. and checkout is at 10 a.m., and sheets and pillowcases are self-service, meaning you carry them to your cottage yourself. Parking is free for one vehicle per three staying guests. Smoking is not allowed inside the cottages. At reception you will find the resident cats Tora-chan and Sakura-chan, who are a favorite with children.

Staying here with children

There is also a lakeside drive-in campsite on the property, and in summer the location doubles as a base for watching the Mount Fuji climbing-season opening fireworks and the Kawaguchiko Kojosai lake festival. The surrounding area is good for canoeing, fishing, hiking and other time outdoors, and about 10 minutes away by car there is a clear stream where you can play in the water. It has a high Rakuten Travel rating of 4.82 out of 5 (39 reviews). There is no hotel-style service here, but with a whole cottage to yourselves you can cook and barbecue at your family's own pace, without worrying about other guests.