Kawaguchiko day trip from Tokyo: the plan, routes and fares

• Chureito Pagoda, Shimoyoshida. The climb to the observation deck is 398 steps². Fujiyoshida’s official tourism site calls Arakurayama Sengen Park one of Japan’s most spectacular viewpoints of Mount Fuji².
• Mt. Fuji Panoramic Ropeway. The gondola takes 3 minutes³ up Mt. Tenjo to an observation deck at about 1,075 m⁴. It’s the obvious Mt Fuji observation spot near Kawaguchiko if the sky is clear.
• Lunch at Houtou Fudou Kawaguchiko North Main Shop. A bowl of hoto noodles is about 3 min by car, 4 km¹ from the ropeway, and the restaurant is open every day⁵.
• Maple Corridor and Oishi Park. The corridor is about 2 min by car, 1 km from lunch, and Oishi Park is about 3 min by car, 2 km¹ further on.

In the Maple Corridor (Momiji Tunnel) you can see Mt Fuji and Lake Kawaguchi through the maples⁶. Oishi Park, on the north shore, has superb views of Mt Fuji⁷; read up on Oishi Park in autumn and the rest of the year before you go.

The drive back to Shinjuku from Oishi Park is about 1 h 40 min by car, 130 km¹. Budget extra for traffic on the way home.

Lake Kawaguchiko is the main point of entry to the Fuji Five Lakes region¹¹, so the station is where every public-transport version of this day begins.

The highway bus is run by Fujikyu Bus, Fuji Express and Keio Bus, and Highway Bus.com lists 49 buses a day¹² at Kawaguchiko Station, counting both directions. Keio’s Highway Bus.com site warns that times may change from 1 November 2026¹².

The slower rail route is the JR Chuo line to Otsuki, then the Fujikyu line⁹. For every route and terminal in detail, see getting there from Tokyo.

1. 1

   Shinjuku to Kawaguchiko Station

   Highway buses leave Busta Shinjuku 4F, about 2 minutes from JR Shinjuku Station's New South Gate. Or take the Fuji Excursion train.

2. 2

   Chureito Pagoda by train

   Chureito Pagoda is about 25 minutes on foot from Shimoyoshida Station on the Fujikyu Railway Line.

3. 3

   Up the ropeway

   From Kawaguchiko Station, the Red Line takes about 15 minutes to the ropeway, at the 'Yuransen' stop.

4. 4

   On to the north shore

   The retro bus takes about 30 minutes from Kawaguchiko Station to Oishi Park; the Red Line ends at the Kawaguchiko Natural Living Center.

5. 5

   Or cross by boat

   Since 17 July 2026 the Oishi Park Line boat has run as a shuttle between Funatsu pier and Oishi Park.

6. 6

   Back to Shinjuku

   Take the bus or train back from Kawaguchiko Station. Bus arrivals can be delayed by accidents, traffic jams and extreme weather.

The sightseeing bus lines all leave Kawaguchiko Station, and this plan only needs the Red Line:

• Red Line: four buses per hour¹³, circling the northern shore, including Oishi Park¹⁴.
• Green Line: two buses per hour along the southern shore, looping around Lake Saiko and through Aokigahara Jukai Forest¹³.
• Blue Line: one bus per hour¹³, going further to Lake Shoji and Lake Motosu¹⁴.

• Kubota Itchiku Art Museum (Itchiku Kubota Art Museum): about 1 min by car, 0.4 km¹ from the Maple Corridor; adult admission is ¥1,500²³ (about US$9).
• Kawaguchiko Music Forest Museum: on the shores of Lake Kawaguchiko²⁴, about 20 minutes²⁵ on the Red Line from Kawaguchiko Station.
• Kawaguchiko Natural Living Center: in Oishi Park, with local specialities and light meals²⁶ and wheelchair-accessible toilets⁸.
• Oshino Hakkai: eight spring ponds in Oshino Village, with no free public parking²⁷.
• Fuji-Q Highland: buses from Shinjuku Expressway Bus Terminal take just under two hours²⁸.

To go up the mountain itself rather than look at it, see the Mt Fuji Subaru Line station visitor guide.

Weighing Hakone instead? Its tourism association calls Hakone the closest tourist destination to central Tokyo²⁹, and Odakyu puts the Romancecar to Hakone-Yumoto at about 1h 25min³⁰. Here’s how Hakone compares with Kawaguchiko.

If a single day feels rushed, there’s an overnight version of this trip, and more Lake Kawaguchiko itinerary ideas on the hub.

Questions people ask