Information checked: October 26, 2026 at 10:47 AM JST.
If your October 31 Fuji Five Lakes trip includes a rental-car loop around Lake Saiko or a stop at Saiko Iyashi-no-Sato Nenba, plan your direction or arrival time before leaving Kawaguchiko. For the Yamanashi high-school relay race, the lake’s counterclockwise vehicle direction is scheduled to close from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.; the clockwise direction remains available.
Key Facts For Travelers
Who Should Change Their Route?
This matters to visitors driving between Kawaguchiko and Saiko, circling the lake for viewpoints, or continuing to the traditional village at Saikonenba. The prefecture lists the restriction on two prefectural-road records, routes 21 and 710, and names clockwise travel around the lake as the available direction. Do not assume that a navigation app will account for the temporary controls.
If a complete lakeside loop is important to your itinerary, make the Saiko drive before 10 a.m. or after the restriction is lifted, subject to a fresh road-status check. If Iyashi-no-Sato Nenba is your main stop, allow for the permitted direction and possible event traffic; the venue’s notice asks visitors to take care when arriving. Exact travel-time effects and parking availability have not been confirmed.
From Tokyo or Kawaguchiko Without a Car
The facility’s official access page links to Fujikyu Bus’s Green Line timetable for Saiko. A traveler coming from Tokyo can first plan their rail or highway-bus arrival at Kawaguchiko, then check the current Green Line route, stop and return departure for Iyashi-no-Sato Nenba. The road notices do not confirm whether the Green Line will be diverted or delayed on October 31. Ask the operator before relying on a tight connection.
The fare, exact journey time, service change and weather for October 31 were not verified in the cited notices. Keep a return option with time to spare. This race is a traffic-planning issue for most international visitors, not a reason to make the race an itinerary anchor.
Image Note
The featured image is a conceptual illustration of temporary lakeside road controls. It is not a photo of the actual Saiko road, the October 31 relay race, or an approved detour map.
Traveler Actions
- If driving on October 31, check Yamanashi Prefecture’s live route 21 and route 710 records before departure, then follow temporary signs and the permitted clockwise direction from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.
- For a flexible Saiko visit, schedule the lakeside drive outside the restriction window and confirm reopening rather than assuming traffic will normalize exactly at 1 p.m.
- If visiting Iyashi-no-Sato Nenba, verify its current opening details and allow extra approach time; the venue has not announced a closure for the race.
- If using the Green Line from Kawaguchiko, consult Fujikyu Bus’s current timetable and check directly for any race-day diversion and your return service.
Official Sources
- Yamanashi Prefecture: route 21 Saiko counterclockwise restriction and clockwise access
- Yamanashi Prefecture: route 710 Saiko counterclockwise restriction and clockwise access
- Saiko Iyashi-no-Sato Nenba: October 31 visitor road notice
- Saiko Iyashi-no-Sato Nenba: location, hours and Green Line access
- Fujikyu Bus: current Fuji Five Lakes local-bus information
Update History
- October 26, 2026: Created from the current Yamanashi Prefecture road records and the Saiko Iyashi-no-Sato Nenba operator’s visitor notice. Bus effects remain unconfirmed. The featured image is conceptual.
