Yamanakako Wakasagi-tei

Yamanakako Wakasagi-tei sits on the eastern shore of Lake Yamanakako, the highest and closest to Mount Fuji of the Fuji Five Lakes, and specializes in wakasagi, a small pond smelt that supports a well-known winter ice-fishing scene on the lake's shallow, freeze-prone surface. The kitchen's wakasagi tempura, lightly battered and fried whole, is the restaurant's signature dish, alongside grilled black bass, another fish commonly caught in the lake, and a simpler wakasagi rice bowl for a lighter meal. The dining room is casual, with lake-facing windows that let diners watch ice-fishing huts on the frozen surface during the coldest months, giving the restaurant a direct seasonal connection to the activity many visitors have just tried themselves. Reservations are not required for most of the year, though winter weekend dinners can get busy with ice-fishing day-trippers warming up after a cold afternoon on the lake. Prices run from about ¥1,500 to ¥3,500. The restaurant is open daily from 11am to 8pm, with slightly extended hours during the peak winter wakasagi season.