I am climbing Mt. Fuji on July 1st on my way back to Tokyo from Osaka. I have my hut reservation at the 8th station and was planning on leaving from the 5th station around 11:00-12:00 to make it to the hut in time, around 16:00. I kind of assumed without checking that I would be able to get to the start of the climb in time. Looking at Google Maps and what others have shared on reddit, the fastest way to get there is to take a Shinkansen from Shin-Osaka to Mishima, an express bus from Mishima to Kawaguchiko, and a local bus from Kawaguchiko to the Fuji-Subaru 5th Station.
Here are the timings I've found after looking through the timetables:
Osaka to Mishima: Shinkansen, 6:39-9:24 with a transfer or 7:36-9:58 direct – Link to Timetable
Mishima to Kawaguchiko: Express Bus, 10:20-11:50 – Link to Timetable, or taxi direct to 5th Station 10:00~11:30?
Kawaguchiko to Fuji Subaru 5th Station: Local Bus, 13:00-13:50 – Link to Timetable, or taxi 11:50~12:40?
If I stick with public transportation, it seems that the absolute earliest I can start the hike would be 13:50, meaning that I will be under a lot of time pressure and might not make it in time for dinner. I prefer to take public transportation when possible, but it seems like the schedule is as inconvenient as possible (busses leaving only a few minutes before the one I am on is supposed to arrive). It seems like taking a taxi might be my only option. How much could I expect to pay for a taxi all the way to the 5th Station from Mishima? Would that even be possible? I am in a group of 3, which makes the costs of a taxi not sound so crazy, but I'm not sure if it will be astronomically expensive. Would I be able to get a taxi when I get to the train station, or would I need to reserve something ahead of time?
by dkarpe