Yamanashi · Mt Fuji · Getting there
From 3 July to 9 September 2026, Fujikyu Bus is running a new midnight express — the “deep-night” service, bus No. 1475 — direct from Busta Shinjuku in Tokyo to Mt Fuji’s Fifth Station on the Yoshida side, leaving at 23:25 and arriving around 2:00 AM. It costs ¥5,800, or ¥5,500 booked online, and it’s pitched at climbers who want to start early and dodge the crowds. But with the Yoshida gate now shut from 14:00 to 3:00, who it actually suits — and how a foreign visitor books it — takes a little explaining.
I’m Nobu, and this is a genuinely useful addition for anyone climbing Mt Fuji from Tokyo without a car: one bus, no transfers, straight from Shinjuku to the trailhead in the middle of the night. But it lands you at the Fifth Station in a very specific window, and the 2026 climbing rules shape what you can actually do with it. Here’s exactly what the bus is, how to book it from abroad, and — honestly — who should and shouldn’t take it.
What the new bus is
Fujikyu Bus added the late-night departure to its existing Shinjuku–Mt Fuji Fifth Station line for the 2026 season. The daytime buses on that route already run; what’s new is a single overnight departure — bus No. 1475, leaving Busta Shinjuku at 23:25 and reaching the Fifth Station on the Yoshida (Fuji Subaru Line) side at about 2:00 AM, with no changes along the way. It operates nightly from 3 July to 9 September 2026. The stated aim is to let climbers reach the trailhead in the small hours, spread arrivals out across the day, and give people a shot at the sunrise (goraikō) and the sea of clouds without the daytime congestion.
| Deep-night bus (No. 1475) | |
|---|---|
| From | Busta Shinjuku, Tokyo |
| To | Mt Fuji 5th Station (Yoshida / Fuji Subaru Line) |
| Depart | 23:25 |
| Arrive | ~2:00 AM (scheduled) |
| Runs | 3 Jul – 9 Sep 2026, nightly |
| Fare | ¥5,800 counter / konbini · ¥5,500 web |
How a foreign visitor books it
The good news: you don’t need Japanese to reserve a seat. You book ahead through one of two channels — here’s how.
1 · Book online (English)
Reserve on Highway Bus dot-com, which has an English booking option for overseas visitors. Choose the Shinjuku → Mt Fuji Fifth Station line and the late-night 23:25 departure.
2 · Pay by card for the discount
Paying online by credit card gets you the ¥5,500 web fare rather than the ¥5,800 counter price. Reservations generally open about a month before the departure date.
3 · Or call Fujikyu
You can also reserve through the Fujikyu call centre (open 8:00–18:00), then pay at the counter or a convenience store — but that skips the ¥5,500 web discount.
Book early — reserve it here. You can book this run directly on Highway Bus dot-com (Shinjuku–Mt Fuji 5th Station line). It’s one nightly bus with limited seats in peak season, so reserve as soon as booking opens rather than turning up at Busta and hoping — and keep the reservation on your phone for boarding.
Who should take it — and who shouldn’t
Here’s the part the fare and timetable don’t tell you. Under the 2026 rules, the Yoshida gate at the Fifth Station is closed from 14:00 to 3:00 to everyone except people with a mountain-hut reservation. The bus arrives around 2:00 AM — so what happens next depends entirely on whether you’ve booked a hut.
✓ A day-climber wanting the earliest legal start
No hut booking? You arrive at 2:00, wait at the Fifth Station, and set off when the gate opens at 3:00. That’s the earliest anyone without a hut can start — good for beating the heat and crowds, with sunrise caught from up the trail.
✓ A climber with a mountain-hut reservation
With a hut booked you aren’t held by the 3:00 gate and can start up on arrival. It’s still a late, dark start, and the rules urge going up earlier for safety — so it suits a carefully planned hut itinerary, not a snap decision.
✗ Anyone chasing summit sunrise without a hut
A 2:00 arrival plus the 3:00 gate leaves five-to-six hours of climbing — you’d reach the summit well after the roughly 4:30 AM July sunrise. For sunrise from the summit, you need a hut, not this bus.
✗ A rushed, unprepared first-timer
The gate stays shut overnight, so a straight-through “bullet climb” isn’t on the table anyway. If you’re not fit, acclimatised and properly kitted out, an overnight arrival and a hard climb is the wrong way to meet Mt Fuji.
The rules that shape your climb
Whatever bus you take, the 2026 Yoshida-trail rules apply, and they’re worth knowing before you commit.
| 2026 Yoshida trail | Rule |
|---|---|
| Entry toll | ¥4,000 per person, paid at the Fifth-Station gate |
| Daily cap | 4,000 climbers/day (does not apply to those with a mountain-hut booking) |
| Gate hours | Closed 14:00–3:00 (except mountain-hut guests) |
| Equipment check | Winter clothing, two-piece rain gear and proper footwear required to pass |
| Season | 1 July – 10 September (start may slip for weather or snow) |
The ¥4,000 toll is separate from the bus fare and from any mountain-hut cost, and since the daily cap doesn’t apply to hut guests, book a hut well ahead if it’s part of your plan. Our fuller guides walk through the choices.
Climbing Mt Fuji 2026
The full route, the ¥4,000 permit, the gear list and how the day actually runs.
Reserve & pay the permit
A screen-by-screen walkthrough of booking the ¥4,000 Yoshida permit in English before you travel.
Mt Fuji mountain huts
What staying in a hut is like — and why a hut booking changes your options on the gate.
Should you climb — or just see it?
Not sure the climb is for you? Weigh it up before you book a midnight bus.
Visitor tip: if the goal is the sunrise and you’re not committing to a hut, remember that goraikō from partway up the trail is still a memorable Mt Fuji experience — and easier on a first-timer than racing to the top. Match the bus to a realistic plan, not the other way round.
Mt Fuji sunrise (goraikō) guide
Timing, where to catch the sunrise, and what the summit dawn is really like.
Mt Fuji night climb
A visual walk through an overnight ascent from dusk to dawn.
Mt Fuji travel hub
How the trails, lakes, transport and seasons around the mountain fit together.
What exactly is the new Mt Fuji midnight bus?
It’s Fujikyu Bus’s late-night direct service (bus No. 1475) on the Shinjuku–Mt Fuji Fifth Station line, added for the 2026 season. It leaves Busta Shinjuku at 23:25 and arrives at the Yoshida-side Fifth Station at about 2:00 AM, with no transfers, running nightly from 3 July to 9 September 2026.
How much is it, and how do I book from abroad?
The fare is ¥5,800 at the counter or convenience store, or ¥5,500 if you book online and pay by credit card. Overseas visitors can reserve through Highway Bus dot-com, which has an English booking portal; you can also call the Fujikyu call centre (8:00–18:00). Booking generally opens about a month ahead, and seats are limited.
Can I see the summit sunrise if I take this bus?
Only if you have a mountain-hut reservation. Without one, the Yoshida gate stays shut until 3:00, and a 3:00 start doesn’t reach the roughly 4:30 AM July summit sunrise — you’d see it from up the trail instead. For sunrise from the very top, plan around a hut, not the bus alone.
Who is this bus best for?
Independent climbers heading up the Yoshida trail from Tokyo without a car — either day-climbers who want to start at the earliest legal time (the 3:00 gate) and catch sunrise on the way up, or people with a mountain-hut booking who want a late, direct arrival. It’s not built for a rushed, unprepared “bullet climb.”
What does it cost in total to climb, beyond the bus?
On the Yoshida trail there’s a separate ¥4,000 entry toll paid at the Fifth-Station gate, plus any mountain-hut fee if you stay overnight, and your gear. The bus fare (¥5,500–¥5,800) is only the transport part.
Do I still have to follow the 2026 climbing rules?
Yes. Regardless of how you arrive, the Yoshida trail in 2026 has a ¥4,000 toll, a 4,000-per-day cap (waived for hut guests), a 14:00–3:00 gate closure, and an equipment check for winter clothing, rain gear and proper footwear. The season runs 1 July–10 September, weather permitting.
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