Mt Fuji · Access · Southeast Asia
Hanoi to Mt Fuji on Vietjet: Is Shizuoka Airport a Good Gateway to Kawaguchiko?
Vietjet’s new Hanoi–Shizuoka route puts “Mt Fuji” in the airport’s name and on the ticket, but the honest answer is more useful: Shizuoka Airport is a genuinely good gateway to the Shizuoka side of Fuji — and a slow, multi-leg one for Kawaguchiko.
On 28 April 2026, Vietjet started flying between Hanoi and Mt Fuji Shizuoka Airport — the first scheduled link between Shizuoka and Vietnam, and the first regular service connecting this airport to Southeast Asia. For travelers from Hanoi, it is a real new door into central Japan. But the airport’s marketing name does a lot of work: it sits about 80 km from the mountain, on the far Shizuoka side. If your dream is the classic Lake Kawaguchi view, you need to know what the transfer actually looks like before you book.
The Vietjet Hanoi–Shizuoka Route: Quick Facts (2026)
The essentials first. Times and fares change, so confirm on the airline’s site before you book.
| Route | Hanoi (Noi Bai) ↔ Mt Fuji Shizuoka Airport (FSZ) |
|---|---|
| Launched | 28 April 2026 — first scheduled Shizuoka–Vietnam link |
| Frequency | 3 round trips a week (Tuesday, Thursday, Sunday) |
| Aircraft | Airbus A321neo |
| Sample times | Hanoi dep ~02:40 → Shizuoka arr ~09:30; return Shizuoka ~10:30 → Hanoi ~14:00 (local) |
| Distance to Mt Fuji | ~80 km — no train station at the airport; access is by bus first |
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What exactly is new?
Vietjet now runs three round trips a week between Hanoi’s Noi Bai airport and Mt Fuji Shizuoka Airport (airport code FSZ), using an Airbus A321neo. The overnight departure from Hanoi lands in Shizuoka mid-morning, which is a good arrival time for onward travel. It is the airport’s first regular Southeast Asian service and pushes Vietjet’s Vietnam–Japan network to eleven routes. For travelers based in Hanoi — or connecting through it — it removes a Tokyo transfer from the trip.
The catch is geography. Mt Fuji Shizuoka Airport is a small regional airport on a tea-farm plateau in the middle of Shizuoka Prefecture. There is no train at the airport itself; you take a short access bus to a railway station, then continue. That is fine — but it means “Mt Fuji” in the name is aspirational, not a five-minute taxi.
How do I get from Shizuoka Airport to Kawaguchiko?
Plan on three to four hours and at least one transfer. There is no direct airport–Kawaguchiko service; you first ride the access bus to Shizuoka Station (about 51 minutes), then take one of the routes below. Fares and times are 2026 references — verify before travel.
| Route to Lake Kawaguchi | How | Rough time / cost |
|---|---|---|
| Direct highway bus | Shizuoka Station → Kawaguchiko Station (Fujikyu bus, ~2 per day) | ~2 hrs · ~¥2,720 one-way (¥4,920 round) |
| Via Mishima | Shizuoka → Mishima (Tokaido Shinkansen) → bus to Kawaguchiko | ~2.5 hrs · ~¥1,980 + ¥2,700 |
| Via Gotemba | Shizuoka → Numazu → Gotemba (JR) → bus to Kawaguchiko | ~3 hrs · ~¥1,340 + ¥1,750 |
Add the airport access bus, and door-to-lake is comfortably a half-day. The direct highway bus is the simplest, but it only runs a couple of times a day, so your flight’s mid-morning arrival needs to line up with it. If Lake Kawaguchi is your only goal, flying into Haneda — which has direct buses to Kawaguchiko — is often the smoother trip.
Tip: if you do route through the Fuji Five Lakes, the local Kawaguchiko buses and the 5th Station services are covered separately, and the Mt Fuji hub has the full lay of the land.
Where Shizuoka Airport actually shines
Flip the map, and this flight looks much better. The airport is well placed for the Shizuoka side of Fuji and the coast — the part of the region most foreign visitors skip. From here you are close to:
- Fujinomiya and the south face of Fuji — Fujisan Hongu Sengen Shrine, the Shiraito Falls, and, in season, the Fujinomiya trail to the summit (a summer bus runs from Shin-Fuji Station).
- Gotemba — outlets, the Subashiri trail in climbing season, and easy onward buses.
- Shizuoka’s tea country and the coast — green tea plateaus, Suruga Bay, and the Izu Peninsula and Atami for onsen.
For a Hanoi traveler who wants Fuji and a quieter, less-crowded slice of Japan — tea fields, hot springs, coastal towns — Shizuoka Airport is a strong, genuinely new option. A rental car makes the Shizuoka side far easier than it looks.
So, is the Vietjet route worth it?
Nobu’s take
Yes — if you match it to the right trip. For a Hanoi–Shizuoka–Fuji itinerary built around the south side, tea country, and Izu, it is excellent and saves a Tokyo transfer.
For a first-timer whose whole plan is the Lake Kawaguchi view, temper expectations: it is a 3–4 hour, multi-leg trip from the airport, and Haneda can be smoother. Book the flight for the region it actually serves, not just for the word “Fuji” on the sign.
Plan the Fuji side of the trip
Compare flights, line up a Fuji-area base, sort a data plan, and consider a car for the Shizuoka side.
Compare flights to Japan Kawaguchiko hotels Get a Japan eSIMFAQ: flying Hanoi to Mt Fuji Shizuoka
Can I really fly direct from Hanoi to Mt Fuji?
You can fly direct from Hanoi to Mt Fuji Shizuoka Airport on Vietjet, which started the route on 28 April 2026 with three round trips a week. But the airport is about 80 km from the mountain, so you still have a bus-and-train journey to the Fuji sightseeing areas.
How far is Shizuoka Airport from Mt Fuji?
Around 80 km. There is no station at the airport; you take an access bus to Shizuoka Station (about 51 minutes) and continue from there by train or highway bus.
How do I get to Lake Kawaguchi from Shizuoka Airport?
Plan on 3–4 hours with at least one transfer: access bus to Shizuoka Station, then a direct highway bus to Kawaguchiko (about 2 hours, ~¥2,720, a couple of departures a day), or via Mishima or Gotemba by train and bus.
Is Shizuoka Airport better than Haneda for Mt Fuji?
It depends on your side of Fuji. For the Shizuoka side — Fujinomiya, Gotemba, tea country, Izu — Shizuoka Airport is closer and more convenient. For Lake Kawaguchi and the Fuji Five Lakes, Haneda’s direct Kawaguchiko buses are usually smoother.
What days does the Vietjet Hanoi–Shizuoka flight operate?
Three round trips a week — Tuesday, Thursday, and Sunday — on an Airbus A321neo, as of 2026. Check the airline’s current timetable, as schedules change seasonally.
What can I do on the Shizuoka side of Fuji?
Visit Fujinomiya and Fujisan Hongu Sengen Shrine, the Shiraito Falls, Gotemba, Shizuoka’s green-tea plateaus, Suruga Bay, and the Izu Peninsula and Atami for onsen — a quieter side of the mountain than the busy Fuji Five Lakes.
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