Kawana Fuji Course: 2026 Access and Booking Update
The Fuji Course at Kawana is the course most golfers mean when they talk about playing Japan, a Charles Alison masterpiece on the cliffs above Sagami Bay that earned the nickname the Pebble Beach of Japan. It is also one of the harder tee times to secure. Here is where access, booking and fees stand for 2026, and how to play it.
The news: access runs through the hotel
The key point for 2026 is access, and it has not loosened. The Fuji Course is reserved for guests of the Kawana Hotel, so playing it means booking a stay at the resort and arranging your tee time as part of the reservation. With Japan's continued popularity as a golf destination, the most sought dates fill early, and the resort guidance to reserve roughly two to four weeks ahead, sometimes more, holds firmly into 2026.
For trip planners, that turns Kawana from a casual add on into a centrepiece to build around. The practical takeaway is to fix your Kawana stay first, then route the rest of a Japan golf trip around it, rather than hoping to slot it in late.
The course itself
The Fuji Course plays as a par 72 of around 6,701 yards along the cliffs of the Izu peninsula in Shizuoka. It was designed by the Englishman Charles H. Alison and opened in 1936, and it remains one of the purest examples of his work anywhere, with the large, deep bunkers known the world over as Alison bunkers cut into the holes against a backdrop of ocean and, on a clear day, Mount Fuji.
It is a walking course in the traditional manner, with no carts and the caddie system on every round, which only adds to the sense of stepping into golf history. The combination of clifftop drama, classical strategic design and that view across Sagami Bay is what has kept the Fuji Course among the world's most admired layouts for the best part of a century.
How to play it in 2026
Book through the hotel. Reserve your Kawana stay and arrange the Fuji tee time with the reservation, ideally two to four weeks in advance or more for prime dates. There are no carts, so plan to walk with a caddie, and pack for changeable coastal weather. Access from Tokyo is straightforward by train and road down the Izu peninsula, which makes it an early or anchor round on a wider Japan trip.
On cost, indicative 2026 green fees run from around 24,000 to 34,500 yen per person when playing in a group of four, including one caddie per group and locker facilities, with higher rates at weekends and in peak season and package rates available to hotel guests. Those figures are set by the resort and move year to year, so treat them as indicative and always confirm the current fee, plan and availability directly with Kawana before booking.
Our take
Our take is that the Fuji Course is the single most evocative resort round in Japan and worth the effort of the hotel booking many times over. The Alison design, the clifftop setting and the walking caddie tradition combine into an experience that few courses anywhere can match, and it is the round that defines a first Japan golf trip.
If 2026 is your window, secure the Kawana stay early and build around it. Pair the Fuji Course with the country's great inland classics, the private gems near Tokyo and the resort golf around Mount Fuji, to turn one famous round into a complete Japanese itinerary. Lock Kawana first, because it is the hardest piece to fit, and let everything else follow.
Plan your Kawana and Japan trip
From a stay and play at Kawana to the great classics near Tokyo and the resort golf around Mount Fuji, tell us roughly when and who is travelling and one concierge builds and costs the trip, with no obligation.
Questions
Can you play the Kawana Fuji Course without staying at the hotel?
Generally no. The Fuji Course is reserved for guests of the Kawana Hotel, so playing it means booking a stay at the resort and arranging your tee time with the reservation. Popular dates fill weeks ahead, so book two to four weeks in advance or more.
How much does it cost to play the Kawana Fuji Course?
Indicative 2026 green fees run from around 24,000 to 34,500 yen per person when playing in a group of four, including one caddie per group and locker facilities, with higher rates at weekends and in peak season and package rates for hotel guests. Rates are set by the resort, so always confirm the current fee directly with Kawana before booking.
Are golf carts allowed on the Fuji Course?
No. There are no carts on the Fuji Course. Every round is walked with the caddie system, in keeping with the traditional clifftop experience above Sagami Bay.
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Researched and written by the GolfForKings editorial desk. Course, access and fee details verified June 2026 from resort and golf travel sources; conditions and green fees change, so always confirm directly before booking. Last reviewed June 2026.