Mt. Takao Cable Car and Chairlift: Fares, Times and Queues

The Takao cable car and chairlift both run from the foot of Mt. Takao to about halfway up, and they cost the same: ¥490 one way, ¥980 round trip for adults (as of October 2026). The cable car takes about 6 minutes and starts at 8:00, running every 15 minutes. The open-air two-seat chairlift takes about 12 minutes and runs from 9:00. You can’t reserve a ride time, so on busy days the easiest way to skip the queue is to come early. From November 1, 2026 you can tap an IC card such as Suica or PASMO at the gate instead of buying a ticket.

All facts below are from Takao Tozan Railway, which runs both, as of October 2026.

Fares

	Adult (12+)	Child (6–11)
One way	¥490	¥250
Round trip	¥980	¥500

• Same fare on both. You can go up on the lift and down on the cable car, or the other way round.
• There is no round-trip discount any more. It ended on September 30, 2025, so a round trip is simply two one-way fares.
• Children under 6 ride free. A 6-year-old who hasn’t started elementary school still counts as a young child, and a 12-year-old still in elementary school pays the child fare. Each paying passenger can bring one young child free. The second needs a child ticket.
• When the round-trip discount ended, the lift’s child fare was changed to start at age 6 (it used to start at 3), so it now matches the cable car.
• The cheapest way to combine the train from Tokyo with the cable car is Keio’s Takaosan Kippu (¥1,450 from Shinjuku with a round trip on the cable car or lift). See the day trip guide.

How to pay

Method	How
Cash or IC card (Suica, PASMO, etc.)	Buy a ticket at the counter or machine
IC card at the gate (from Nov 1, 2026)	Tap the card at the simple IC reader at the gate. The one-way fare comes off your balance.
Contactless credit/debit card	Go straight to the gate and tap. One card per person.
TAMa-GO (QR)	Buy online in advance, then go straight to the gate

Notes on the new IC readers, from the operator’s announcement:

• One card per person. You can’t pay for a group with one card.
• Your balance must cover the fare. Auto-charge doesn’t work here, and the stations don’t sell or top up IC cards, so top up at a train station first.
• Children pay the child fare with a child IC card.
• Discounted fares (for example the disability discount) still need a paper ticket from the counter or machine.

Cable car: times

The cable car runs between Kiyotaki Station at the bottom and Takaosan Station at the top. The ride takes about 6 minutes, and the two cars leave both ends at the same time.

• First departure: 8:00. The operator says it may start earlier when crowded.
• Frequency: every 15 minutes. When crowded, extra runs every 7 minutes.
• Capacity: 135 people per car.
• Steepest gradient: 31° 18′, which the operator calls the steepest cable car track in Japan.

Last departure by month:

Month	Weekdays	Weekends and holidays
January–February	17:15	17:30
March	17:30	18:00
April–May	18:00	18:30
June	17:45	18:00
July–August	18:00	18:30
September–November	17:45	18:00
December	17:15	17:30

While the Takao Beer Mount beer garden at the top station is open, the last cable car is 21:15. In 2026 the Beer Mount runs from May 30 to November 29, apart from a few closed days. Times also change over New Year and for maintenance, so check the operator’s home page on the day.

Chairlift: times and rules

The chairlift runs between Sanroku Station (next to Kiyotaki) and Sanjo Station. It is 872 m long, takes about 12 minutes, and has two seats per chair with no cover.

Season	First	Last
May–November	9:00	16:30 (extended when needed)
December–April	9:00	16:00

Riding rules from the operator:

• Two people per chair. Children aged 3 and over need their own seat.
• Pre-school children can’t ride without an adult. Follow the staff’s instructions on how to seat a family.
• An adult may hold one infant (0–2) on the lap.
• The operator asks people who are pregnant, injured, elderly, unsteady on their feet, drinking, or afraid of heights not to ride.
• Pets can’t ride the lift. On the cable car they must be fully inside a carrier or pet stroller, which costs ¥250 one way.
• The lift sometimes stops for maintenance. For example, it was suspended from September 28 to October 2, 2026. Check the notices before you go.

Cable car or chairlift?

	Cable car	Chairlift
Ride	Enclosed, about 6 min	Open air, about 12 min
Rain and cold	Better	Exposed
Young kids, strollers	Better (elevator at the top station)	Strict seat rules
Views	Through the windows	Wide open, over the cedar trees
Hours	From 8:00, later in the evening	9:00 to 16:00/16:30

If you can, ride up on one and down on the other. They cost the same.

Avoiding the queues

Takao Tozan Railway says ride times can’t be booked and that waits can be long in busy seasons. Its FAQ names Golden Week, the autumn leaves season and New Year as the most crowded times.

• Come early. The cable car starts at 8:00, an hour before the lift.
• Walk up, ride down. The lower part of Trail 1 is the steep part. Coming down by cable car saves your knees. See our trail comparison.
• Have your fare ready. From November 1, 2026, a topped-up IC card lets you skip the ticket line.
• Check the operator’s home page on the day for the day’s hours and any closures.

Lockers and luggage

According to the operator’s FAQ, there are coin lockers inside Kiyotaki Station (¥400, ¥500, ¥600 and ¥900), usable during cable car hours. The station office also keeps strollers for ¥500 each and suitcases that don’t fit in a locker for ¥1,000 each, but may refuse when it is busy.

Changes coming

Takao Tozan Railway marks the cable car’s 100th anniversary on January 21, 2027. It plans to replace the cars and rebuild Takaosan Station, designed with architect Kengo Kuma, aiming to finish in March 2028. Because of the station work, the paths around the top station have changed since May 15, 2026. Follow the signs on site.