Blog → Tokyo to Mount Fuji by Car
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2026 / 05 / 27
Tokyo to Mount Fuji by Car
The drive, the tolls and the traffic to expect. Realistic timings, where to stop, and the documents you need to rent the car.
JDLTC editorial team · Camjyo Inc.
The Ultimate Day Trip
Driving from central Tokyo to the Fuji Five Lakes (Kawaguchiko) area is one of the most popular road trips in Japan. While the train and highway bus are options, a rental car gives you the unparalleled freedom to chase the best views of Mount Fuji, visit the Chureito Pagoda at dawn, and explore hidden shrines.
The Route: The Chuo Expressway
The fastest and most direct route from Tokyo to Mount Fuji is via the Chuo Expressway (中央自動車道). You will merge onto the Chuo Expressway from the Shuto Expressway in Tokyo, heading west towards Yamanashi Prefecture. You will eventually exit at the Kawaguchiko Interchange (河口湖 IC).
Toll Costs and ETC Cards
The tolls from central Tokyo (e.g., Shinjuku) to Kawaguchiko are relatively high. Expect to pay around 3,500 to 4,000 JPY each way depending on your exact entry point.
We strongly recommend renting an ETC card from your rental agency. Not only does it allow you to pass through toll gates without stopping for tickets or fumbling with cash, but it also automatically applies weekend and holiday discounts, which can save you up to 30% on the toll fare.
Traffic Warnings
The Chuo Expressway is notorious for massive traffic jams on weekends and public holidays. On a Sunday evening heading back to Tokyo, a 90-minute drive can easily turn into a 4-hour crawl. If you are doing a day trip, leave Kawaguchiko before 3:00 PM or after 8:00 PM to avoid the worst of the congestion.
From the two of us who run this site
Driving on your IDP? Give Kyushu two weeks
We are Karen and Doko, a couple in Fukuoka. Besides the licence translations, we rent out campervans for trips around Kyushu under the name VAN TRIP JAPAN. When friends ask us where to drive in Japan, we send them south to Kyushu, the island we live on.
Our 7-day loop takes in Aso, Takachiho Gorge and the hot springs of Beppu and Yufuin. With two weeks you can add Nagasaki and Shimabara in the west and Kagoshima in the south, and you stop rushing. We've written up the 14-day loop day by day, with drive times.
Two weeks is also where the price starts to work. Rentals of 14 days or more get 15% off the whole booking (10% from 7 days, 20% from 21). Weekday rates start at ¥22,000 a day with insurance, bedding and a cooking set included, and you pick the van up 10 minutes from Fukuoka Airport.
Licence from Switzerland, Germany, France, Belgium, Monaco or Taiwan? The campervans work with the Japanese translation too, and VAN TRIP JAPAN takes ¥5,000 off the rental when the translation was done through us (just mention it on WhatsApp; the driver's name has to match the order).
Your translation, ready for your trip
For licences issued in Switzerland, Germany, France, Belgium, Monaco or Taiwan. Eligibility depends on the issuing country, not your nationality or current location.
