Can we see Mt Fuji from Enoshima?

We have time for one full day trip from Tokyo. Can we see Mt Fuji from Enoshima? Or should we go to Hakone instead to see Mt Fuji? Which one makes the better day trip from Tokyo?

When visibility is good, you can see Mount Fuji from Enoshima. For a daytrip I recommend Enoshima over Hakone, because Hakone is big and better visited on an overnight trip in my opinion. But the two places are quite different in terms of attractions. So if you are personally more attracted to what Hakone has to offer (natural scenery and hot springs), then a daytrip to Hakone would obviously be the better choice.

I love both Enoshima and Hakone so I will chime in.

At Enoshima we stay at Iwamotoro Honkan. Looking out over the bay we have seen Mt Fuji each morning usually at around 7 - 8AM, but then havent seen it for the rest of the day even from the vantage spots up high.

Enoshima has plenty going for it. Some nice pottery/trinket shops, nice shrine, pleasant walk with great views, dragon themes, caves, heaps of hawks, some cats (used to be more) and some squirrels that probably regret their choice of location. Iwamotoro Honkan has very interesting onsen baths, one which is roman themed (apparently very old), the other set up as a cave which is interesting albeit vaguely disconcerting.

So while it is touristy, it has a very traditional feel to it. And good access to Kamakura which has heaps to see and do.

Hakone is also fantastic. It varies from cheesy in some aspects to very natural in others with great forests. Last time we stayed we were at Fukuzumiro (sp?) at Tonosawa, it was essentially a stone's throw from Hakone Yumoto but it felt like miles deep in the forest. And the water is great, but comes with the sulphur smell. Unfortunately I've never seen Mt Fuji from Hakone, though plenty of people do.

I think both are best enjoyed overnight, but then that is probably true of most places, but Hakone has plenty more accommodation options.

If you can see Fuji totally depends on the day. On clear days you can see it from Tokyo. On cloudy/misty days not even from the foot of the mountain.

As daytrip both Hakone and Enoshima are Fine. Hakone has much more to do than Enoshima and it takes longer to get there.

Enoshima has Kamakura closeby so once you are done with Enoshima you can continue in Kamakura.

Fuji from Enoshima is in the distance over the ocean, from Hakone it is closer. But that doesn’t necessarily mean more visible.

Thank you LikeBike, Lazy Pious, and Uji for your suggestions. As we couldn't spend the night, we took the advice to focus the day on Enoshima & Kamakura. We truly enjoyed our adventures! Along with shrines and souvenir shops, we encountered several cats, especially around the Cat Cafe where we had lunch and afternoon tea (which brightened an otherwise soggy day).

There was no hope to see Mt Fuji given the foggy weather, but we had been lucky enough to see the mountain from our plane as we originally approached Tokyo. From the air I snapped a few photos of the mountain during sunset and felt relieved of any pressure to see it from Enoshima. Everything worked out.

Thanks again.

・Mt.Fuji is easy to see in the morning.
・Easier to see on sunny days after rain (days with clear air)
・Especially visible in winter
・There are days when you can see it in summer, but you can't see Mt. Fuji with snow left (instead, you can climb it)
・Even if the weather is a little bad, there is a high possibility that you can see it around the Fuji Five Lakes.

Glad you had a great time, that area is one of my favorites. Yes we also had great views of Fuji from the plane coming in to Japan on 22 Feb.

We were also luck enough to have great views of Fuji at about midday the next day on the shinkansen during our trip to Nara. I've thought it would be nice if there was an announcement on the train at the time it usually comes into view, as we have missed it plenty of times over the years on that run.