Mount Fuji Access Guide: How to get there from anywhere in Japan by train, bus, car, or plane.

During the summer climbing season, highway bus run directly from Shinjuku, Yokohama, and Hiyoshi to the 5th station of Mt. Fuji. Since you can reach the 5th station without changing buses, it's recommended for those planning to climb the mountain or visit the 5th station.

During periods when direct buses are not operating, take highway bus to Kawaguchiko Sta. and then transfer to local bus bound for the 5th station. The journey from Shinjuku to Kawaguchiko Sta. takes approximately 1 hour and 45 minutes, and fares start from 2,200 yen. highway bus to Kawaguchiko can be booked through "Fujiyama Connect".

It's best to book highway bus in advance once you've decided which bus you want to take. Especially if you plan to travel on weekends, holidays, or during peak tourist season, you'll want to secure your seat while there are still seats available.

If you're traveling by train, you can take the "Fuji Kaiyu" limited express train from Shinjuku to Kawaguchiko Sta. in about 1 hour and 53 minutes to 2 hours without changing trains. From Kawaguchiko Sta., you'll need to transfer to local bus for the 5th station.
If you want to save on fares, you can take the Chuo Line to Otsuki Station and transfer to the Fujikyu Railway Line. The journey takes about 2 hours and 30 minutes to 3 hours, but the fare is around 2,500 yen.

By car, it takes about 1 hour and 30 minutes from central Tokyo to Kawaguchiko Interchange on the Chuo Expressway. If you are heading to the 5th station on the Shizuoka side, take the Tomei or Shin-Tomei Expressway towards Gotemba or Fujinomiya.

However, during the summer months, private car restrictions are in place, limiting the passage of general vehicles except for certain types of vehicles such as buses and taxis. Therefore, you cannot drive your own car directly to the 5th station. You will need to park your car at Fujisan Parking Lot or similar location and take a shuttle bus to the 5th station.
During the period when private cars are restricted, you must park at the Fuji Hokuroku Parking Lot (Fujisan Parking Lot / Yamanashi Prefecture Prefectural Fuji Hokuroku Parking Lot) and take a shuttle bus to the 5th station. The fee is 1,000 yen per entry for a regular car (24-hour system/payment upon exit).

On weekends, public holidays, during the Obon period, and during the long weekends around Mountain Day, the parking lot often fills up between 7:00 AM and 9:00 AM. When the parking lot is full, you may be directed to a nearby temporary parking lot, or there may be a waiting line to enter. Therefore, arriving early in the morning (5:00-6:00 AM) or in the afternoon is generally smoother.

If you're traveling from the Kansai region by Shinkansen (bullet train), take the Shinkansen from stations such as Shin-Osaka, Kyoto, or Shin-Kobe to Mishima Station, and then take highway bus from Mishima Station to Kawaguchiko Sta..

From Shin-Osaka to Mishima Station, it takes about 2 hours and 10 minutes by "Hikari" and about 3 hours by "Kodama". Reserved seats cost around 12,000 yen. From Mishima Station to Kawaguchiko Sta., it takes about 90 minutes by highway bus from Mishima Station to Fuji-Q Highland / Kawaguchiko Sta..

The bus departs from bus stop number 2 at Mishima Station South Exit. After exiting the Shinkansen ticket gate, follow the signs for the south exit. Please be careful, as the bus stop will be on the opposite side if you exit from the north exit.

Overnight highway bus operate from Osaka and Kyoto. They depart Abeno Harukas after 9:00 PM, pass through Osaka Station and Kyoto Station, and arrive at Kawaguchiko Sta. around 8:30 AM the following morning.

While this method takes longer than taking the Shinkansen and then a bus, it has the advantage of allowing you to travel at night, enabling you to start sightseeing or climbing in the Mt. Fuji area the next morning, and it also saves on transportation costs compared to the Shinkansen.

Another option for traveling to Mount Fuji from the Kansai region is by car. The distance from Osaka to Kawaguchiko is approximately 470km, taking about 6-7 hours. The most common route involves taking the Meishin Expressway, then the Chuo Expressway, passing through the Otsuki Junction, and exiting at Kawaguchiko Interchange. Since this is a long drive, consider having multiple people take turns driving or planning an overnight stay along the way.

Mount Fuji is quite far from the Kansai region, but is it possible to get there by plane?

Convenient airports for accessing Mount Fuji include Mt. Fuji Shizuoka Airport and Haneda Airport. However, there are no direct flights from airports in the Kansai region to Mt. Fuji Shizuoka Airport, so you will have to travel by land.
While it's possible to take a bus to Kawaguchiko via Haneda Airport, considering the travel and transfer waiting times, using the Shinkansen (bullet train) or bus is a smoother option.

If you're using the Shinkansen (bullet train), a convenient route is to take the Tokaido Shinkansen from Nagoya Station to Mishima Station, and then transfer to highway bus bound for Kawaguchiko Sta..
From Nagoya to Mishima Station, it takes about 1 hour and 15 minutes by "Hikari" bullet train. From Mishima Station, transfer to highway bus bound for Fuji-Q Highland / Kawaguchiko Sta. which takes about 90 minutes.

To drive from Nagoya to Mount Fuji, you will use the Tomei Expressway. The distance from Nagoya IC to Kawaguchiko IC is approximately 310 km, and the estimated travel time is about 3 hours and 30 minutes. The toll fee via the Shin-Tomei Expressway is in the 7,000 yen range when using ETC.
It doesn't take too long to get from Nagoya to Mount Fuji by car, so it's a good option for a day trip. After sightseeing around Mount Fuji and Kawaguchiko, I recommend heading home to enjoy some fun at Fuji-Q Highland.

If you're worried about driving long distances, taking highway bus is a good option. highway bus depart from Nagoya Station to Fuji-Q Highland, Kawaguchiko Sta., and Mt. Fuji Station.
The journey takes approximately 260 minutes, and the fare starts at 4,500 yen one-way. Since there are no transfers, you can relax during your journey, which is a great advantage. This is recommended for those who want to reduce the burden of driving or who want to travel to the Mt. Fuji area while keeping transportation costs down.

The closest airport to Mount Fuji is Mt. Fuji Shizuoka Airport. Mt. Fuji Shizuoka Airport is located in the eastern part of Shizuoka Prefecture straddling the cities of Makinohara and Shimada.

Mt. Fuji Shizuoka Airport has flights from New Chitose, Fukuoka, Kumamoto, Kagoshima, Naha, and Izumo. Since there is no train station at the airport, there are access buses from the airport to Shizuoka Station. Take the bus to Shizuoka Station, then transfer to highway bus bound for Kawaguchiko Sta. Station from Shizuoka Sta. North Exit.

You can also get to Mount Fuji from Haneda Airport or Narita Airport. highway bus to Kawaguchiko Sta. operate from both airports. This is convenient for those arriving by plane from overseas, as they can take a bus directly to the Mount Fuji area after arriving at the airport.

It takes about 3 hours from Haneda Airport and about 3.5 to 4 hours from Narita Airport to reach Kawaguchiko Sta.. From Kawaguchiko Sta., take the "Fuji Subaru Line 5th local bus from Kawaguchiko Sta. 7.

You might be planning to visit Aichi Prefecture by plane and then head to Mount Fuji. If you're using Chubu Centrair International Airport in Aichi Prefecture, it's a good idea to take highway bus from the airport to Nagoya Station, and then from Nagoya Station to Kawaguchiko.

highway bus journey takes approximately 260 minutes (about 4 hours and 20 minutes). From Kawaguchiko Sta., take local bus bound for "Fuji Subaru Line 5th Station".

There are four main climbing routes to Mount Fuji: the Yoshida Route, the Subashiri Route, the Gotemba Route, and the Fujinomiya Route. Each route has a different starting point and access method.

There are two main ways to access the 5th station of Mount Fuji: by bus or by car. The advantage of taking the bus is that you don't need to drive on unfamiliar mountain roads, and it's easily accessible even during periods when private car restrictions are in place.

However, you can't board the bus to the 5th station from just anywhere. You will need to depart from one of the following bus stops. Also, because the route travels along mountain roads, it takes longer than the distance might suggest.

This section explains how to get to the Fuji Subaru Line 5th Station by bus.

To reach the Fuji Subaru Line 5th Station on the Yamanashi side, it takes approximately 55 minutes from platform 7 at Kawaguchiko Sta. and approximately 65 minutes from platform 5 Mt. Fuji Station. Look for signs indicating "Fuji Subaru Line 5th Station".

Buses bound for Uma-gaeshi also stop at platform 5 of Mt. Fuji Station. Uma-gaeshi is located at an altitude of 1450m and is a stopover point on the Yoshida Trail of Mount Fuji, where the path becomes steeper. You can also start climbing from there, but be careful not to take the wrong bus as it is a different Destination from the Fuji Subaru Line 5th Station.

The fare from Kawaguchiko Sta. / Mt. Fuji Station to Fuji Subaru Line 5th Station is 2,000 yen one-way and 3,400 yen for a round trip for Adult. Round-trip tickets cannot be purchased on the bus, so please purchase them in advance through Fujiyama Connect. one-way tickets can be purchased on the bus, but please note that credit cards are not accepted.

You can drive up to the 5th station. However, during the summer climbing season, private cars are restricted on the Fuji Subaru Line to alleviate traffic congestion and protect the natural environment, so you cannot drive your own car all the way to the 5th station. During the restrictions, you will need to park your car at Yamanashi Prefecture" Fujisan Parking Lot" facility, which can accommodate approximately 1,400 cars, and then take a paid shuttle bus to the 5th station.

Parking fees are approximately 1,000 yen per entry for regular cars. On the Shizuoka side, you will need to transfer to a bus at the Azami Line temporary parking lot for the Subashiri entrance and at the Mizugatsuka Park parking lot for the Fujinomiya entrance. The Gotemba entrance is not subject to private car restrictions.
Fujisan Parking Lot get crowded on weekends, holidays, and during long weekends including Obon and Mountain Day, and can become full by around 7-9 a.m. If you want to avoid the crowds, consider arriving early in the morning, around 5-6 a.m., or in the afternoon.

[Fujisan Parking Lot] 5597-84 Kenmaruo Kamiyoshida, Fujiyoshida City, Yamanashi Prefecture

Shuttle buses and local bus on the Yamanashi side do not operate on a reservation system; passengers board in the order they line up at the boarding area. On busy days, it can take 30 minutes to an hour to board. To aim for relatively less crowded times, for northbound trips, aim for the time immediately after the first bus around 6 AM or after 2 PM, and for southbound trips, aim for the morning or after 5 PM. Be sure to check the return times to avoid missing the last bus.

If you're sightseeing at the fifth station, allow yourself about an hour to an hour and a half to enjoy the surrounding area at a leisurely pace.
After taking photos at the 2,305m elevation sign and observation deck, you can also enjoy choosing souvenirs or having a light meal at the Fujikyu Unjokaku or the gift shop. Curry and ramen are popular at the restaurant at the 5th station, and the Mount Fuji-shaped melon bread is a local specialty.
You will need to pay a small fee of around 100-300 yen to use the toilet, so it's a good idea to have some small change ready.
If you have some extra time, we recommend visiting the nearby Komitake Shrine or taking the "O-chūdō" path that leads to the Oniwa and Okuniwa gardens. The walk takes about 1 to 1.5 hours one-way.

Whether or not you can reach the 5th station in winter depends on the weather and road conditions on the day, and the road may be closed due to heavy rain or strong winds. Be sure to check the official Fuji Subaru Line website before you depart.

If you're traveling by car, you'll need winter tires or snow chains. Please note that even if the road is closed and you can't reach the fifth station, the toll fee will not be refunded. It's also a good idea to bring warm clothing such as gloves and a knit hat.

Avoid "bullet climbs" where you ascend overnight without staying overnight, as this can put you at risk of getting sick. On the Yoshida route on Yamanashi Prefecture side, to ensure the safety of climbers, access is restricted at the trailhead at the fifth station from 2 PM to 3 AM the following day, and you cannot proceed towards the summit during this time unless you have a reservation for accommodation at a mountain hut.

If you're staying overnight, a good plan is to start climbing around noon, arrive at the mountain hut at the eighth station around 4 PM, and then head to the summit around 2 AM the next day to witness the sunrise around 5 AM. Those climbing should take an early bus to the fifth station and stay for about an hour to allow their bodies to acclimatize to the altitude. Be sure to check the last bus schedule for the return trip, and aim to descend 1-2 hours before the last bus.