How Do You Get to Lake Kawaguchi from Tokyo?
This guide is for visitors travelling from Tokyo to Lake Kawaguchi in Fujikawaguchiko Town, Yamanashi. It covers the through limited express from Shinjuku, the change at Otsuki, highway buses, IC cards and the sightseeing buses that start at Kawaguchiko Station.
We used pages from the railway operator Fujikyu Railway, the bus operator Fujikyu Bus and Fujikawaguchiko Town, all read on 2026-10-04. Fares and timetables change, so check the operator's page for your travel date.
The short answer: aim for Kawaguchiko Station
Kawaguchiko Station is the last stop on the Fujikyu line, which runs 26.6 km from Otsuki. Trains and highway buses from Tokyo both arrive there, and the local sightseeing buses start from the same place.
There are three common ways to get there:
- The Fuji Excursion limited express, which runs from Shinjuku to Kawaguchiko with no change.
- A JR train to Otsuki, then a Fujikyu train up to Kawaguchiko.
- A highway bus from Shinjuku or Tokyo Station.
The lake sits high up. The town office stands at about 868 m above sea level, and the town describes its winters as very cold. Pack warm layers outside summer.
The Fuji Excursion from Shinjuku
Fujikyu Railway says the Fuji Excursion runs four round trips a day between Shinjuku and Kawaguchiko. In some periods one extra round trip runs. The fastest train from Shinjuku takes 1 hour 53 minutes.
Between Shinjuku and Otsuki, the train runs coupled to a Kaiji or Azusa limited express. At Otsuki it carries on along the Fujikyu line to Kawaguchiko.
- Cost. Fujikyu gives a one-way total of 4,200 yen from Shinjuku to Kawaguchiko. That is a 2,580 yen fare plus a 1,620 yen express charge.
- Seats. There are no unreserved cars. You buy either a reserved-seat ticket or a "seat-unassigned" ticket that fixes only the date and section.
- Booking. Tickets go on sale at 10:00, one month before the travel date. Fujikyu lists JR East ticket offices and machines, Eki-net, and JR-EAST Train Reservation for overseas visitors.
Changing at Otsuki
You can also take a JR train to Otsuki and change to the Fujikyu line there. Fujikyu's adult fare from Otsuki to Kawaguchiko is 1,170 yen with a paper ticket, or 1,161 yen with an IC card. Children pay half.
Fujikyu runs its own limited expresses on this line, the Fujisan View Express and the Fujisan Limited Express. Its fare table adds a 400 yen express charge from Otsuki to Kawaguchiko. A reserved seat costs 200 yen more. Fujikyu says the Fujisan View Express takes about 45 minutes and climbs about 500 m on the way.
Two through trains also run each day from Tokyo Station along the Chuo line to Kawaguchiko. They leave Tokyo in the evening and leave Kawaguchiko early in the morning. Fujikyu says people use them for commuting and for trips into the Tokyo area.
Between Kawaguchiko and Mt. Fuji Station, a normal ticket is enough to use a spare seat on an express.
Highway buses from Shinjuku and Tokyo Station
Fujikyu Bus runs two routes that matter for most visitors.
- From Shinjuku. Buses leave from the highway bus terminal on the 4th floor of Busta Shinjuku. The trip to Kawaguchiko Station takes about 1 hour 45 minutes. Adult fares start at 2,200 yen, and the fare to Kawaguchiko is 2,000 yen if you pay online. Fujikyu Bus and Keio Bus run the route.
- From Tokyo Station. Buses leave from the Yaesu South Exit and take about 2 hours. The adult fare to Kawaguchiko Station is 2,300 yen. All seats are reserved and you must buy a ticket in advance. There are no rest stops on this route.
Seats on both routes can be booked from one month before the travel date. On the Tokyo Station route, tickets bought at the bus stop or on board are cash only. Suica and PASMO are not accepted there.
Fujikyu Bus warns that road conditions can delay buses, and it does not refund fares for late arrival. Leave a margin if you have a fixed plan at the other end.
IC cards on trains and local buses
The Fujikyu line accepts Suica, PASMO and other nationwide transport IC cards. Fujikyu says one card covers its group's trains, local buses and taxis in the Fuji Five Lakes area.
One limit is worth knowing. If you ride the Fujikyu line on an IC card, you cannot break your journey part way. Buy a paper ticket if you want to stop off and carry on later on the same ticket.
Getting around the lakes by sightseeing bus
Fujikyu Bus runs three sightseeing bus lines from Kawaguchiko Station:
- Red Line: loops around the northern shore of Lake Kawaguchi.
- Green Line: goes to Lake Saiko, Aokigahara Forest and the Narusawa area.
- Blue Line: goes further west to Lake Shoji and Lake Motosu.
Single rides cost at least 180 yen for adults, set by zone. A pass for all three lines costs 1,500 yen for one day or 2,000 yen for two days. Children pay 750 yen and 1,000 yen. You can buy passes at the Kawaguchiko Station bus counter or online. The one-day pass is also sold on the bus. No reservation is needed.
The bus counter at Kawaguchiko Station is open from 6:30 to 19:00. Local buses toward the Mount Fuji 5th Station, Saiko and Narusawa also leave from the bus area in front of the station.
On foot in town: what the town asks
Fujikawaguchiko Town says traffic accidents happen often in the town. Its tourism page explains that in May 2024 it put up a black screen in front of a shop near Kawaguchiko Station. The town says the aim was to protect residents and tourists from traffic accidents.
The same page asks visitors not to fly drones or film with them in the town. It also links a public toilet map for the area around the lake and a leaflet on Japanese traffic rules.
What we could not verify, and therefore left out
- JR fares and times between Tokyo, Shinjuku and Otsuki. We did not read JR East's own fare pages.
- Routes from Narita and Haneda airports. Fujikyu links to them, but we did not read those pages.
- The price of the special car on the Fujisan View Express. One Fujikyu page says 1,000 yen and another says 900 yen.
- Whether the black screen near the station is still in place today. The town's English reason sheet is an image file that we could not read as text.
- How much English help is available at station and bus counters.
Related guides
- Why Is Lake Kawaguchi Part of the Mount Fuji World Heritage Site?
- How Do You Stay Safe Around Lake Kawaguchi and Mount Fuji?
Sources
All URLs retrieved 2026-10-04.
- JR・富士急行直通特急 富士回遊 (Fujikyu Railway) — (Fuji Excursion: round trips, coupling, total fare, seat types, sales start, where to buy)
- 運賃 (Fujikyu Railway) — (Otsuki to Kawaguchiko fare, IC fare, 26.6 km, child fares, express and seat charges)
- 特急電車のご案内 (Fujikyu Railway) — (Fuji Excursion daily service; Fujikyu's own limited expresses)
- 富士山ビュー特急 (Fujikyu Railway) — (about 45 minutes; about 500 m climb)
- 毎日運行 東京～河口湖（JR直通電車） (Fujikyu Railway) — (two through trains each way; evening and early-morning times)
- 富士急行線で「Suica」サービス開始 (Fujikyu Railway) — (IC cards accepted; one card for trains, buses and taxis; no stopovers on IC)
- 各駅のご案内 (Fujikyu Railway) — (station list ending at Kawaguchiko)
- Shinjuku Station to Fuji-Q Highland, Kawaguchiko Sta., Mt. Fuji Station and Yamanaka (Fujikyu Bus) — (Busta Shinjuku 4th floor, journey time, fares, booking, operators, delays)
- Tokyo Sta. / Ueno Station to Fuji-Q Highland, Kawaguchiko Sta. and Yamanaka (Fujikyu Bus) — (Yaesu South Exit, about 2 hours, 2,300 yen, cash only on board, no rest stops, local buses from the station)
- Kawaguchi, Saiko, Narusawa, Shoji and Lake Motosu sightseeing bus (Fujikyu Bus) — (three lines, fares, passes, counter hours)
- 町勢概要 (Fujikawaguchiko Town) — (town office altitude; cold winters)
- Reasons of Black curtain & Information for Tourist (Fujikawaguchiko Town) — (black screen in May 2024; drone request; toilet map; traffic rules leaflet)
- 交通事故発生マップ公開中 (Fujikawaguchiko Town) — (traffic accidents happen often in the town)