Before you go
Going to Mount Fuji by car.
When you plan that, there’s one thing to decide first.
Which trailhead you’ll go up from.
This is where the whole parking question changes.
There are four trailheads, and they’re split across two prefectures
Mount Fuji has four roads you can drive up as far as the 5th Station (五合目).
One is on the Yamanashi side, and three are on the Shizuoka side.
On the Yamanashi side, it’s the Fuji Subaru Line (富士スバルライン).
On the Shizuoka side, there are three: the Fujinomiya trail (富士宮口), the Subashiri trail (須走口) and the Gotemba trail (御殿場口).
Each of the four has different rules.
Even though it’s the same mountain.
Search for “Mount Fuji parking” as if it were one place, and this is where it gets confusing.
Put the other way, once you pick one trailhead, there’s only one set of rules to check.
In summer, you can’t drive up in your own car
During the summer climbing season, the roads up to the 5th Station come under マイカー規制 (private-car restrictions).
It means you can’t use them in your own car.
You leave the car at a parking lot at the foot of the mountain and switch to a shuttle bus or a taxi.
But the Gotemba trail alone has no restriction.
While the mountain is open, you can drive up to the 5th Station at any time.
The day the restriction starts differs from trailhead to trailhead.
And it changes every year.
Check the dates for the year you’re going on the prefecture’s official page.
When is it crowded? — Weekend mornings when the weather is clear
Shizuoka Prefecture’s guidance puts it like this.
“On weekends and around the Obon holiday, and especially on clear days, it gets crowded from early morning until noon.”
In Shizuoka Prefecture’s 2026 materials, the Obon period is August 13 to 16.
Check that year’s prefecture guidance as well.
Everyone wants to go on a clear day.
On the Fujinomiya trail, even when the Mizugatsuka parking lot (水ヶ塚駐車場) is full (満車), attendants will direct you to a backup parking lot.
You won’t be left with nowhere to go.
Where to get out of the car — each trailhead has its own place
On the Yamanashi side (the Subaru Line), it’s Fujisan Parking (富士山パーキング).
It’s just east of Fujiyoshida Interchange (富士吉田インターチェンジ) on the Higashi-Fujigoko Road (東富士五湖道路).
For the Fujinomiya trail, it’s the Mizugatsuka parking lot.
It’s about 2 kilometers toward Gotemba from the old tollgate where the restriction starts.
For the Subashiri trail, it’s the Subashiri Multipurpose Plaza (すばしり多用途広場).
It’s across from the Michi-no-Eki Subashiri roadside station (道の駅すばしり) on Route 138 (国道138号).
For the Gotemba trail, you can park right at the 5th Station parking lot.
One thing to watch.
Fujisan Parking is closed during the winter.
If you’re touring around the foot of Mount Fuji in fall or winter, keep this in mind.
Can you book? — Not on the Shizuoka side
On the Shizuoka side (the Fujinomiya and Subashiri trails), neither the shuttle buses nor the taxis take advance bookings.
It’s first come, first served.
Shizuoka Prefecture also gives a warning about the shuttle taxis.
Depending on the day and the time, it can take 1 to 2 hours for one to arrive.
When you plan your climb and your descent, allow for that time.
On the Shizuoka side, there’s one more rule that’s easy to miss.
The restriction also applies to cars that won’t park at the 5th Station.
“Just passing through” doesn’t get you through either.
There are a lot of rules, but once you reach the transfer parking lot, you just follow the guidance on site.
Once you’ve switched, all you do is take in the view
Finally, one good thing.
From the foot of the mountain to the 5th Station is a long climb.
When you’re not the one driving, you can keep looking out the window.
Once you’re on the shuttle bus, the ride up is part of Mount Fuji too.
※ The periods of the private-car restrictions, the charges, opening seasons and number of spaces at the transfer parking lots, and the shuttle bus service change from year to year. Before you go, check that year’s details on the official pages of Yamanashi Prefecture and Shizuoka Prefecture.
