What are the best seats on the Shinkansen to see Mount Fuji?

If you want to catch a glimpse of Mount Fuji from your seat, make sure to reserve seat E. You'll get the best view of Mount Fuji just after passing Shizuoka Station. Once your train has passed through Shizuoka Station, you'll go through a tunnel and pass by the Fuji River.



To get the most iconic view of Mount Fuji while traveling on the Tokaido Shinkansen between Tokyo and Osaka (or Kyoto), you should always aim for the "E" seats in an Ordinary car or the "D" seats in a Green (First Class) car. If you are traveling West (Tokyo to Osaka), these seats are on the right-hand side of the train. If you are traveling East (Osaka to Tokyo), they are on the left-hand side. The mountain appears roughly 40 to 45 minutes after leaving Tokyo Station, shortly after the train passes through the Atami and Mishima areas. The "prime time" for viewing is the few minutes surrounding Shin-Fuji Station, where the mountain fills the window. Because the Shinkansen seats are rotated 180 degrees at the terminal to face the direction of travel, the "E" seat is consistently the "Fuji-side" seat regardless of whether you are heading north or south. It is highly recommended to book these specific seats in advance via the Smart-EX app or at a ticket machine, as they are the first to be reserved by savvy travelers.

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Shinkansen Travel Tips: Choosing the Right Seats
  • For Productive Work: Front Row or Window Seat. ...
  • For Sleeping: Window Seat or Last Row. ...
  • For Charging Devices: Window Seat. ...
  • For a Quiet and Relaxing Journey: Seats Closer to the Center. ...
  • To Avoid Oversleeping: Seats Near the Deck Entrance.


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For a view of Mount Fuji, make sure to sit on the left hand side of the Shinkansen if you're going from Osaka/Kyoto ?? Tokyo. If you're going the opposite way, make sure to sit on the right side.

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Use the bullet train Tokaido Shinkansen to travel to Mt. Fuji right from the heart of Tokyo. On the left side, you will see mesmerizing Sagami Bay, and on the right side the symbol of Japan, the highest summit of the country, perfectly symmetrical Mount Fuji.

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Some trains might have a stop as brief as 1 minute, while others might stop 5 to 10 minutes due to waiting for other Shinkansen to pass. Regardless, arriving at the platform about 15 minutes before the departure time provides ample mental and physical preparation.

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The main difference here is that the Nozomi stops at the least amount of stations, the Hikari only at the most important stops and the Kodama at each stop along the way. This way business people can travel fast from meeting to meeting, while tourists can get off at their desired stop, like Mt. Fuji!

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A gradually decreasing number of shinkansen trains are served by small food carts with a selection of snacks, drinks and boxed meals (bento) which periodically pass along the aisle. Free Wi-Fi is available on board of all shinkansen except on some older train sets in eastern Japan.

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All seats on shinkansen trains can be turned by 180 degrees, allowing travelers to always face forward. The seats are turned by the staff at the terminal stations, but can also be turned by passengers, for example, to create a group of four or six seats facing each other.

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Some trains do not have non-reserved seats (all seats are reserved). There are no Green Cars on most “HIKARI” and “KODAMA” trains on the Sanyo Shinkansen Line (Shin-Osaka—Hakata), or on Series 800 trains on the Kyushu Shinkansen Line.

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Ordinary seats usually come in 3x2 seating arrangements and have Reserved vs. non-reserved sections in separate train cars. Ordinary seats are more affordable than the gree-car seats, however, it also means that the reservations of the seats are not promised by the purchase of the tickets.

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Fuji side seat. When traveling to Kyoto, Mt. Fuji is located on the right side, and traveling to Tokyo, it's visible on the left side. For the best view, always reserve the E seat (if you are a group of two, you should book D & E).

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The advantage of Green Car passes is that they allow you to ride in the Green Car on any JR train that has such cars (all shinkansen and tokkyu trains). As mentioned above, Green Car seats are more comfortable and spacious. The Green Cars tend to be quieter than ordinary cars. They also tend to be less crowded.

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The main difference here is that the Nozomi stops at the least amount of stations, the Hikari only at the most important stops and the Kodama at each stop along the way. This way business people can travel fast from meeting to meeting, while tourists can get off at their desired stop, like Mt.

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Slower than the premier Nozomi but faster than the all-stations Kodama, the Hikari is the fastest train service on the Tokaido and Sanyo Shinkansen that can be used with the Japan Rail Pass, which is not valid for travel on the Nozomi or Mizuho trains except through a special supplementary ticket.

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Differences in Fares For example, a reserved seat from Tokyo to Shin-Osaka on a Nozomi train costs 14, 450 yen, while the same seat on a Hikari or Kodama costs 14,140 yen. Please keep in mind that you might not be able to sit down when you buy a non-reserved seat ticket if the train is particularly crowded.

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Reservation is required for large luggage on the Shinkansen If yes, then this guide is for you so you can determine if you'll need a special seat reservation for oversized luggage. Be warned, failure to do so will result in a penalty fee of ¥1,000 (~USD7).

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I'm using JR pass and reserved seats, what if I were to miss the train, can I change to the next train on the spot? Hi there, If you miss a train you have a reserved seat for, then you are allowed to board the next train and take a non-reserved seat.

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Fuji is, that the probability to actually see the mountaintop lies between 20 and 30 %, some say it's closer to 20 than to 30. He loves to hide behind clouds and there's nothing more frustrating to plan a trip and you have to leave without seeing Mt. Fuji.

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