Fuji Excursion: New direct train from Shinjuku to Mount Fuji

Mount Fuji is a breathtaking destination which is right at the top of many visitors’ bucket lists. It offers sensational views which have inspired Japanese art for centuries but, at over 3,500 meters above sea level, it has not been the easiest place to get to!

The great news is that the launch of the new Fuji Excursion train has made it much easier. It connects Shinjuku Station (Tokyo) directly to Mount Fuji which saves travelers a great deal of time as well as the hassle of making multiple changes.

This guide will tell you everything you need to know about the new limited express Fuji Excursion train including the route, timetable, prices, making seat reservations, and whether you can use your JR Pass on the service.

Fuji Excursion service

The service is operated by E353 series trains which start the journey with 3 cars (numbered 1 to 3). However, between Otsuki and Shinjuku, the train couples with another 8 more cars (numbered 4 to 12).

The full journey from Shinjuku Station will only take an hour and 50 minutes marking a huge timesaving for visitors. At the moment, 3 trains run daily on both weekdays and Saturdays and holidays.

The Fuji Excursion makes several stops at convenient stops for tourists including Otsuki (where you can see the world’s fastest train at the Yamanashi Prefectural Maglev Exhibition Center), Fujikyu Highland (Japan’s largest amusement park) and Kawaguchiko (next to Lake Kawaguchi).

Route and stops

The Fuji Excursion is a regular limited express service which runs between Shinjuku on the Chuo Line and Kawaguchiko (Lake Kawaguchi) on the Fujikyuko Line. There are two round trips a day which stop at the following stations:

• Shinjuku
• Tachikawa
• Hachiōji
• Ōtsuki
• Tsuru-bunkadaigaku-mae
• Mount Fuji
• Fujikyu Highland
• Kawaguchiko

The last three stations (Mount Fuji, Fujikyu-Highland and Kawaguchiko) serve as gateway stations for Mount Fuji and the Fuji Five Lakes.

Tickets and fares

Passengers can buy tickets for the Fuji Excursion from the JR ticket counter, a JR ticket machine or online. Here is a list of the prices (for one-way trips):

If you have a Japan Rail Pass you can ride a part of the Fuji Excursion (Shinjuku – Otsuki) without needing an additional ticket. This means that JR Pass holders need to buy a ticket for the ‘Otsuki – Mount Fuji / Fujikyu Highland / Kawaguchiko’ section of the journey:

• Otsuki – Kawaguchiko: 1140 yen
• Express fare: 600 yen for adults; 400 yen for children
• Total: 1740 yen

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Fuji Excursion timetable

Here is the current timetable for the Fuji Excursion trains.

For further information, please check http://www.fujikyu-railway.jp/fujikaiyuu/.

Seat reservation

Passengers need to buy a supplementary ticket, as well as the basic ticket, to board the train. There are two types of these supplementary tickets: the reserved seat ticket and the unreserved seat ticket.

The reserved ticket allows a specific seat to be reserved. There is a lamp above each seat which indicates whether a seat is reserved or not. A green light means a seat has been reserved, a red light signifies a seat in unreserved, and a yellow light  shows that a seat has been reserved for a later part of the journey (passengers can sit in these seats but will have to give the seat up when the reserving passenger boards).

The unreserved seat ticket allows passengers to sit on any of the unreserved seats. If there are no unreserved seats available passengers with unreserved seats need to stand up for the journey.