Fuji Five Lakes Silver Week Trains September 19-23: Reserve Early

Travel News Watch

Information checked: September 13, 2026, 8:35 AM JST.

Fujikyu Railway published a new Silver Week seat-availability guide on September 12 for travel between Shinjuku, Otsuki, Mt. Fuji Station, and Kawaguchiko from Saturday, September 19, through Wednesday, September 23. The operator recommends reserving limited-express seats early because the holiday period is expected to be busy.

Short answerCheck the live reservation system before fixing your itinerary. In the operator’s 5:00 PM September 12 snapshot, many morning direct Fuji Excursion trains from Shinjuku were already marked sold out, but some JR limited-express plus Fujikyu limited-express connections via Otsuki still showed seats. Availability can change at any time.

Key Facts For Travelers

Affected routeShinjuku-Otsuki-Mt. Fuji Station-Kawaguchiko rail trips.

Busy travel datesSaturday-Wednesday, September 19-23, 2026.

Availability snapshotUpdated by Fujikyu Railway at 5:00 PM on September 12.

Booking channelsEki-net for JR limited expresses; Fujikyu’s reservation site for Fujisan Express and Fuji View Express.

Where Seats Were Already Tight

The September 12 PDF marked all five listed direct Fuji Excursion trains from Shinjuku to Kawaguchiko as sold out on September 19, 20, and 21. Several direct trains were also sold out or nearly full on September 22 and 23.

Return demand was also uneven. Some direct Kawaguchiko-to-Shinjuku departures still had seats, while several September 21-23 services were marked sold out or limited. Treat the PDF as a planning snapshot, not a live guarantee.

Use Otsuki Transfer Options

The same guide lists alternatives that require a transfer at Otsuki. In the published snapshot, a number of Kaiji connections paired with Fuji View Express or Fujisan Express still showed availability even when direct Fuji Excursion services were full.

Ordinary JR and Fujikyu local trains do not require limited-express seat reservations, but they take longer and may be crowded. Allow extra transfer time at Otsuki and verify the latest full timetable before travel.

Book The Correct Train

Reserve Fuji Excursion, Kaiji, and Azusa services through JR East’s Eki-net system. Reserve Fujisan Express and Fuji View Express through Fujikyu Railway’s dedicated limited-express reservation site.

A reservation on one operator does not automatically cover the separate fare or seat requirement on the connecting operator. Read the booking confirmation carefully and keep enough time for the Otsuki transfer.

Traveler Actions

Check live seat availability before booking accommodation or timed activities around a specific train.
Compare direct Fuji Excursion services with Otsuki-transfer limited-express options.
Keep a slower ordinary-train route as a fallback if reserved seats are unavailable.
Allow extra transfer time at Otsuki during the holiday period.
Recheck the timetable and service status on the morning of travel.

Official Sources

Update History

September 13, 2026: Created from Fujikyu Railway’s September 12 Silver Week notice and five-day seat-status PDF; dates, booking routes, direct-train shortages, transfer alternatives, and snapshot time checked.