How to get to Mount Fuji 5th Station from Tokyo

Kon’nichiwa!

Each of the Mount Fuji trails that leads to the summit starts at a different 5th station.

Depending on which trail you’re taking, you’ll be going to Fuji Subaru Line 5th Station, Fujinomiya 5th Station, Subashiri 5th Station, or Gotemba New 5th Station.

So your first step is determining which Mount Fuji 5th station you want to go to!

 

The Fuji Subaru Line 5th Station is the busiest Mount Fuji 5th station, because it’s where you go to start the most popular trail to do the Mount Fuji climb, which is the Yoshida Trail. So for most people, if you’re climbing Mount Fuji, then you are looking to get to the Fuji Subaru Line 5th Station to start your Mount Fuji climb.

I’ve visited Mount Fuji 5th stations and relied entirely on getting there by bus, so I know what it’s like to carefully plan around schedules and connections!

In one case, I went from Tokyo to the Mount Fuji 5th Station to immediately start hiking the Yoshida Trail to 7th station where I had a mountain hut reservation. (Well, not exactly immediately. I stuck around 5th Station for an hour or so for acclimatization purposes!)

The 5th Station for Yoshida Trail is the only Mount Fuji 5th station that is directly connected to Tokyo. All the other 5th Stations do not have direct buses from Tokyo at any time of year. They require at least one transfer. (There are no train stations at any of the 5th stations.)

 

There may be multiple towns and bus options for most trails, but for simplicity, I’ve picked one recommended route to each 5th station. Outside of the climbing season, the bus websites might not have the updated info for the upcoming season, so you’ll need to check back closer to July. This also means that google maps may not have updated information for summer bus timings.

Now, here’s a practical guide on how to get to each Mount Fuji 5th Station!

 

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There are partner websites included in this post.

 

 

1. Kawaguchiko to Fuji Subaru Line 5th Station (Yoshida Trail)

 

Fuji Subaru Line 5th Station

• Elevation: 2305 m | 7,560 ft
• Starting point for Yoshida Trail
• Bus from Kawaguchiko
• Bus from Tokyo
• Trail registration: Yamanashi Mount Fuji climbing fee

 

👆 Use google maps to figure out how you want to get from Tokyo to Kawaguchiko. You can compare how much time each route takes, along with how much it will cost. As an example, this is from Shinjuku Station to Kawaguchiko Station (map + directions). Adjust the departure time to give you a better idea.

 

If you’re not planning to climb the Yoshida Trail, the Fuji Subaru Line 5th Station is mainly about the experience of being halfway up Mount Fuji. It’s very busy because it’s the starting point for the Yoshida Trail, but that also makes it the most developed and accessible 5th station for people who just want to “be on Mount Fuji” without doing any hiking.

If you want to hike the slopes of Mount Fuji without going to the summit… NEXT! 👇

 

 

2. Mishima to Fujinomiya 5th Station

 

Fujinomiya 5th Station

• Elevation: 2380 m | 7,810 ft
• Starting point for Fujinomiya Trail
• Bus from Mishima
• Trail registration: Shizuoka Mount Fuji climbing fee

 

👆 Use google maps to figure out how you want to get from Tokyo to Mishima. You can compare how much time each route takes, along with how much it will cost. As an example, this is from Shinjuku Station to Mishima Station (map + directions). Adjust the departure time to give you a better idea.

 

If you don’t want to climb all the way to the Mount Fuji summit, you can get a feel for hiking on Mount Fuji by doing the Hoei Crater hike! Start at Fujinomiya 5th Station, follow the signs to Hoei Crater (Hoeizan), and then return back the same way you came. Alternatively, instead of hiking back to Fujinomiya, you can hike to Gotemba New 5th Station. (That will be a longer hike.) Even if you are not hiking to the summit, you will need to pay the Mount Fuji trail registration fee for Fujinomiya Trail.

I did the Hoei Crater hike from Mishima! I stayed overnight in Mishima, took the bus from Mishima to Fujinomiya 5th Station in the morning, then hiked to the Hoei Crater summit, and then went down to Gotemba New 5th Station. Going from the Hoei Crater to Gotemba 5th Station, there were times I used the official Mount Fuji app to make sure I was going the right way. The app has a map that you can use with GPS. Once at Gotemba New 5th Station, I took a bus to Gotemba Station, and then a train and bus to Mishima Station. (Google maps really helps!) Mishima Station is also a shinkansen bullet train stop which makes it easy for onward travel to Kyoto or Osaka.

 

 

3. Gotemba to Subashiri 5th Station

 

Subashiri 5th Station

• Elevation: 1970 m | 6,465 ft
• Starting point for for Subashiri Trail
• Bus from Gotemba Station
• Trail registration: Shizuoka Mount Fuji climbing fee

 

👆 Use google maps to figure out how you want to get from Tokyo to Gotemba. You can compare how much time each route takes, along with how much it will cost. As an example, this is from Shinjuku Station to Gotemba Station (map + directions). Adjust the departure time to give you a better idea.

 

 

4. Gotemba to Gotemba New 5th Station

 

Gotemba New 5th Station

• Elevation: 1440 m | 4,724 ft
• Starting point for Gotemba Trail
• Bus from Gotemba Station
• Trail registration: Shizuoka Mount Fuji climbing fee

 

Another hike you can do if you don’t want to climb all the way to the Mount Fuji summit is from the Gotemba New 5th Station. You can get a feel for hiking on the volcanic black sand of Mount Fuji by hiking to Futatsuzuka Shitazuka (Mount Futago). Start at Gotemba New 5th Station, follow the signs to Futatsuzuka Shitazuka, and then return back the same way you came. You don’t need to pay the Mount Fuji trail registration fee if you’re doing this.