Kawaguchiko (河口湖) or Lake Kawaguchi are one of Japan’s top tourist destinations. But because the lake at the foot of Mt. Fuji isn’t located in Tokyo’s city center, you may be wondering how to get from Tokyo to Kawaguchiko. If that is the case, read on to discover the best way for you to get to Mt. Fuji from Tokyo. Whether it is from Shinjuku, Haneda Airport, or Shinagawa, we got you covered!
As there are many ways to get to Kawaguchiko from Tokyo, it would be complicated to consider the convenience, cost, and boarding point at the same time while planning. We have split the different ways for you to get to Mt. Fuji from Tokyo into three categories:
- By Fuji Excursion
- By Direct JR Trains – Rapid Trains
- By JR Chūō Line (中央線) + Fujikyūkō Line (富士急行線)
- Direct high-speed bus
Tip: Refer to HERE for a list of the tours with an English-speaking guide to explore Mt. Fuji/Kawaguchiko and the surrounding attractions.
By Fuji Excursion
To accommodate the mass amount of passengers traveling from Tokyo to Kawaguchiko, JR East Japan introduced the limited express service, Fuji Excursion (富士回遊), in March 2019.
Fuji Excursion connects JR’s Chūō Line and Fujikyūkō Line, replacing the Narita Express (成田エクスプレス).
The best thing about Fuji Excursion is that it saves the trouble of transferring, saving you time on transportation. But Fuji Excursion only has three services to and from Kawaguchiko each day, so advance planning is required if you want to take Fuji Excursion to Kawaguchiko.
For more information, refer to our article on Fuji Excursion!
Tip: Get the JR Tokyo Wide Pass for unlimited rides on Fuji Excursion. You can pre-purchase yours HERE!
By Direct JR Trains – Rapid Trains
Apart from the Fuji Excursion, you can also take the rapid trains (快速) from Tokyo to Kawaguchiko. However, note that the rapid trains only depart from Tokyo at night. The rapid train services arriving in Tokyo from Mt. Fuji leave in the early morning, which makes this option inconvenient if you plan on spending one day at Mt. Fuji.
The rapid service is also available from Mt. Takao (Takao Station, 高尾駅).
| Train Service/Timetable | Main Stations | No. of Services | Required Time | One-Way Cost |
| Tokyo ⇔ Kawaguchiko | Tokyo, Shinjuku, Mitaka, Hachiōji, Ōtsuki | 2 services to and from Kawaguchiko | Around 3 hours | 2,690 from Tokyo |
| Takao Station ⇔ Kawaguchiko | Ōtsuki | 1 service to and from Kawaguchiko | Around 2 hours | 1,760 from Takao |
By JR Chūō Line (中央線) + Fujikyūkō Line (富士急行線)
If Fuji Excursion’s departure time doesn’t suit your schedule, your next option is JR Chūō Line + Fujikyūkō Line. While this option takes 2 to 3 hours, depending on the train type you choose, it still provides much more flexibility. Some trains might even be decorated!
JR Chūō Line departs from Shinjuku (新宿). The connecting station from Fujikyūkō Line is Ōtsuki Station (大月駅). Both JR and Fujikyūkō lines have both local and limited express trains.
| Train Type | Number of Transfer | Required Time | One-Way Cost from Shinjuku |
| Both limited express | One time | Around 2 hours | 3,530 yen |
| Both local trains | At least twice | Around 3 hours | Around 2,500 yen |
JR Chūō Line’s Limited Express Trains
The limited express trains that may stop at Ōtsuki Station are Kaiji (かいじ), Azusa (あずさ), and Super Azusa (スーパーあずさ). All three of them are covered by the JR Tokyo Wide Pass. Because they depart from Shinjuku Station, it will be less confusing if you make a transfer at Shinjuku. The Chūō Line has a designated platform there.
Important: Not all Kaiji, Azusa, and Super Azusa trains stop at Ōtsuki Station. Please confirm before boarding.
Fujikyūkō Line’s Limited Express and Local Trains
After you get to Ōtsuki Station, you can decide if you want to spend extra money to take a limited express to Kawaguchiko.
- Limited express: Fujikyūkō Line has two types of limited express trains. Both require a limited express ticket to board.
- Fujisan View Express (富士山ビュー特急)
- Fujisan Express (フジサン特急)
- You can translate the below web pages to English for the cost and timetable. Unfortunately, the English web page doesn’t contain much information.
- Local trains: the local train will stop at all stations from Ōtsuki Station to Kawaguchiko. But you might be just in time to catch one of the four services decorated with Thomas & Friends images.
- Refer to Fuji Kyuko’s website HERE for the Thomas & Friends trains’ timetable. You can translate it to English using Google Chrome’s translation function at the right of the address bar.
Direct High-Speed Bus
If you still find the above information confusing, the easiest and cheapest way to travel from Tokyo to Mt. Fuji is by direct high-speed bus. The required amount of time for this option is around the same as taking trains without the traffic jam.
- For the bus timetable, refer to the official website HERE.
- You can use the below websites to book your trip
| Depart from | Required Time | Cost |
| Haneda Airport | Around 3 hours | 2,520 yen |
| Tokyo Station | 2.5 – 3 hours | 2,000 yen |
| Shinagawa | Around 2 hours | 2,040 yen |
| Shinjuku Bus Terminal (バスタ新宿) | Around 2 hours | 2,000 yen |
| Shibuya/Futagotamagawa | Around 2 hours | 2,000 yen |
| Yokohama | Around 2 hours | 2,020 yen |
Important: Taking a bus to Mt. Fuji/Kawaguchiko isn’t recommended on weekends and public holidays as you will most likely be stuck in traffic.
Exploring Mt. Fuji and the Surrounding Attractions With a Tour
If you prefer to explore the magnificent Mt. Fuji with a guided tour, below is a list of tour packages you can consider!
Mt. Fuji/Fuji Five Lake Tours
- Explore Mt. Fuji Ice Cave in Aokigahara Forest
- Mt. Fuji Japanese Crafts Village and Lakeside Bicycle Tour
- Lake Kawaguchi Excursion Ship & Mt. Fuji Panoramic Ropeway Tour from Tokyo
- Mt. Fuji One-Day Sightseeing Tour from Tokyo
- Mt. Fuji Five Lakes Area Private Tour with Licensed Guide (Kawaguchiko area Departure)
- Mt. Fuji Flower Festival Tour with Ropeway Experience from Tokyo
- Mt. Fuji and Lake Kawaguchi Scenic Spots Day Tour from Tokyo
- Mt. Fuji Lake Kawaguchi & Yamanakako Hot Spring Day Tour from Tokyo
- 1-Day Private Charter Mt. Fuji Tour from Tokyo
- Private One-Day Tour Mt. Fuji/Lake Kawaguchiko
- Mt Fuji Area Private Guided English Tour
- Mt. Fuji Bicycle Tour
- Private Mt. Fuji Trekking Tour Up to the 7th Station
- Mt. Fuji Climbing 2-Day Tour from Tokyo
- 2-Day World Heritage Mt. Fuji Sunrise Climbing Tour from Tokyo
Mt. Fuji and the Surrounding Attractions Tours
- Mt. Fuji Classic Route Day Tour from Tokyo, including Oshino Hakkai and Gotemba Outlet
- Mt. Fuji and Gotemba Premium Outlets One-Day Tour from Tokyo, including Arakurayama Sengen Park and Oishi Park
- Mt. Fuji One-Day Sightseeing and Shopping Tour from Tokyo
- Mt. Fuji, Premium Outlets or Onsen One-Day Tour from Tokyo
- Mt. Fuji, Five-storied Pagoda, Illumination, and Ropeway Day Tour from Tokyo
- Mt. Fuji and Fruit Picking One-Day Tour from Tokyo
- Mt Fuji Wineries Half-Day Tour
Mt. Fuji + Hakone Tours
- Mt. Fuji and Hakone 1-Day Bus Tour by Bus
- M.t Fuji and Hakone 1-Day Bus Tour by Bullet Train
- Mt. Fuji & Hakone One-Day Trip from Tokyo
- Mt Fuji, Hakone, Lake Ashi Cruise 1 Day Bus Trip from Tokyo
- Mt. Fuji, Lake Ashi, and Owakudani Day Tour from Tokyo
- Hakone and Mt. Fuji 5th Station One-Day Bus Tour from Tokyo (Shinjuku / Ikebukuro Departure)
- Mt. Fuji and Hakone Pirate Ship One-Day Tour from Tokyo
- Mt.Fuji, Hakone Pirate Ship, Ropeway Day, and Fruit Picking Tour from Tokyo
- Mt Fuji & Hakone Day Tour: Lake Ashi & Ropeway Day Trip from Tokyo
- Private Tour: Chartered Car to Mt. Fuji Lake Kawaguchiko or Hakone and Lake Ashi
Finding out the Tokyo Transportation Ticket that Suits You the Most
Whether it is your first time in Tokyo or you have been to Japan’s capital previously, deciding which Tokyo’s transportation pass is suitable for you can be tricky. So if you are unsure which discounted transportation ticket you should get, our Guide to Tokyo’s Transportation Passes should hopefully point you in the right direction!
