Originally used on Asagiri limited express services in conjunction with Odakyu Electric Railway,[1] from 2012 until its withdrawal in 2014, the train was used on Gotemba Line excursion services.

It was subsequently sold to the private railway operator Fuji Kyuko and rebuilt as the Fujikyu 8500 series for use on Fujisan Tokkyu services from March 2016.

The lone 7-car 371 series set was built jointly by Hitachi, Kawasaki Heavy Industries, and Nippon Sharyo.

[2] From its introduction on 16 March 1991 until 16 March 2012, the 371 series set was used alongside the two Odakyu 20000 series RSE EMUs on Asagiri services run jointly by the private railway operator Odakyu Electric Railway and JR Central between Odakyu's Tokyo terminus at Shinjuku and JR Central's Numazu Station in Shizuoka Prefecture via the Gotemba Line.

[6] In December 2014, it was announced that the private railway operator Fuji Kyuko planned to purchase the trainset, and reform it as a three-car set for use on Fujisan Tokkyu services later in fiscal 2015.