Guide to Climbing Mt Fuji

At a height of 3,776 metres, Mt Fuji is Japan’s highest mountain. It is recognised as one of the country’s “Three Holy Mountains” (along with Mt Hakusan and Mt Tateyama), and is a very popular destination among local and foreign tourists.

When is the best time to climb Mt Fuji?

The official climbing season begins in early July and ends around mid September. During this period, all trails and hiking facilities on the mountain are accessible and open to the public as most of the snow has already melted, making the climb to the top fairly safe and easy.

How do you get there?

During the peak climbing season, various highway bus companies conduct several round trips per day from Tokyo Station, Shinjuku Station, Fujisan and Kawaguchiko Stations, Gotemba Station, Fujinomiya Station, Mishima Station, and Shin-Matsuda Station. They drop people off at any of the four Mt Fuji 5^th Station bus stops (Fuji Subaru, Subashri, Gotemba, and Fujinomiya) which serve as the entryways to the trails.

How difficult is the climb?

The Mt Fuji trail is made up of ten stations, starting from the foot of the mountain (first station) up to the summit (tenth station), and paths are paved as far up as the fifth station. The four 5^th stations found on different sides of the mountain offer varying levels of difficulty, so hikers are advised to do their research to be able to choose the trail most appropriate for their physical abilities.

Fujinomiya Trail

This trail is located on the southern portion of Mt Fuji and is the closest to the summit. Ascent takes anywhere from four to seven hours, and the climb down requires about two to four hours.

Yoshida Trail

This is the easiest trail to get to if you are coming from Tokyo and the surrounding areas. The hike up takes about five to seven hours, while the descent requires three to five hours.

Subashiri Trail

The total time needed to complete this trail is somewhere between eight and thirteen hours, at least five going up and at least three going down.

Gotemba Trail

This is the longest trail among the four, requiring around seven to ten hours for the ascent and three to six hours for the descent.

What should you bring?

Wearing the right kind of clothes and bringing the appropriate equipment are necessary to enjoy a fun and safe climb to the summit of Mt Fuji. Among the essentials are: