Mount Fuji
Discover Mount Fuji
Mount Fuji (富士山 Fuji-san, 3776 m) is Japan's highest mountain and the focal point of the sprawling Fuji-Hakone-Izu National Park. Visible from Tokyo on a clear day, the mountain is to the west of Tokyo on the main island Honshu, straddling the border between Shizuoka and Yamanashi prefectures. In order to prevent one prefecture from "claiming" the mountain, the peak of Mount Fuji is the only place in the country that is not located in any prefecture; its location is simply "Japan". A stratovolcano with a nearly perfectly symmetrical cone, the mountain is a near-mythical national symbol immortalized in countless works of art, including Hokusai's 36 Views of Mt. Fuji.
Taste of Mount Fuji...
If you have the energy to haul food and drink, buy it before coming to Mount Fuji. Once on the mountain, simple meals (curry rice and such), if available at all, will cost around ¥1000. As all materials have to be hauled up by tractors, food and drink prices are high and rise the closer you get to the summit. For example, a vending machine at the summit sells drinks and cans of corn soup for ¥400. However, as the summit has fewer people staying overnight and many more people resting, you can usually stop for a break without paying the resting fee (see Sleep), making the price of a cup of tea or a bowl of noodles enjoyed indoors somewhat more reasonable. Kawaguchiko 5th Station is the last place to have a meal or stock up on supplies without breaking the bank, although there's a bit of inflation even here. Huts from 7th station onward also offer primitive accommodation, and reservations are strongly recommended. Don't expect to stay without a reservation. Prices are pretty much standardized at ¥5250 a night for a very cramped space (one tatami mat or less) shared with the halitosis, funky boot juice and snoring of 150-500 strangers, plus an optional ¥1050/2100 for one/two meals. Most huts will not allow visitors to stay within the (heated) huts without paying a resting fee, either ¥1000-2000 per hour or ¥5,000 for the entire night. The fee may be waived if you buy a meal. The huts also have extremely basic toilets, but they get the job done (¥100/200).
Essential Information
Getting There
Multiple OptionsMt. Fuji can be approached from all sides, but note that transport schedules are sharply cut outside the official climbing season in July and August. For up to date information, the city of Fujiyoshida maintains a Mt. Fuji access page listing current routes and schedules. From Tokyo, the easiest and most popular option is to take a direct bus from Shinjuku to the trailhead at Kawaguchiko Fifth Station. The most economical approach is by Odakyu train from Shinjuku to Gotemba, although you will have to change trains and the price difference is rather minimal. Mt. Fuji Shizuoka Airport (FSZ) near Shizuoka opened in June 2009. Despite the name, it's over 80 km away to the west of the mountain and not much closer to Mt. Fuji than Tokyo's airports. The easiest option for reaching the slopes of Mount Fuji is to take the Keio/Fujikyu Express Bus from the Shinjuku Expressway Bus Terminal in Tokyo....
Getting Around & Staying
Getting Around
Once on the mountain the only way of getting around is on foot. The sole exception is horseback riding, available on the Fujiguchiko trail between the 5th and 7th stations only for the steep price of ¥14,000. For merely seeing Mt. Fuji, it's better to maintain some distance. The most popular places for sightseeing tours of Mt. Fuji and surroundings are Hakone, to the east of Mt. Fuji towards Tokyo, and the Fuji Five Lakes, located just north of the mountain. Note, however, that Mt. Fuji is notoriously shy and is wreathed in clouds most of the time: it's entirely possible to drive around the mountain and never see it. Visibility tends to be the worst in the hot, muggy summer and the best in the winter, when the air is dry and clear. The thing to do on Mt. Fuji is, of course, to climb it. As the Japanese say, "A fool never climbs Fuji; a bigger fool climbs it twice", but the true wisdom of this phrase is usually only learned the hard way.
Where to Stay
Huts from 7th station onward also offer primitive accommodation, and reservations are strongly recommended. Don't expect to stay without a reservation. Prices are pretty much standardized at ¥5250 a night for a very cramped space (one tatami mat or less) shared with the halitosis, funky boot juice and snoring of 150-500 strangers, plus an optional ¥1050/2100 for one/two meals. Most huts will not allow visitors to stay within the (heated) huts without paying a resting fee, either ¥1000-2000 per hour or ¥5,000 for the entire night. The fee may be waived if you buy a meal. The huts also have extremely basic toilets, but they get the job done (¥100/200). Instead of the usual noxious sweet deodorant, some of these toilets use a pepper scent to mask the smell of the waste. Tents are not allowed. If you can't use the huts, you will sleep outdoors. You can't even sleep in the restroom shed: the owner will make you leave.
Money & Budget
If you have the energy to haul food and drink, buy it before coming to Mount Fuji. Once on the mountain, simple meals (curry rice and such), if available at all, will cost around ¥1000. As all materials have to be hauled up by tractors, food and drink prices are high and rise the closer you get to the summit. For example, a vending machine at the summit sells drinks and cans of corn soup for ¥400. However, as the summit has fewer people staying overnight and many more people resting, you can usually stop for a break without paying the resting fee (see Sleep), making the price of a cup of tea or a bowl of noodles enjoyed indoors somewhat more reasonable.
Safety Information
Safety Overview
Mount Fuji is a real mountain and should be treated with respect. Near the top the air is noticeably thinner, which may cause altitude sickness and breathing difficulties. The hike to the top is taxing, but injuries typically occur during the descent phase when you're tired. Especially after heavy rains landslides are also a possibility. It is very cold on top. During summer, when at the mountain foot the temperature is a sweltering 35 °C, at the top it will be 7 °C during the day and less during the night (bear in mind that windchill will make it feel even colder) – ice and frost are common throughout the year. Add in strong wind or lashings of rain, and hypothermia can easily strike while waiting for sunrise at the goal. If your extremities go numb or you can't control your shivering, go indoors and get warmed up. Despite the cold, the risk of sunburn is also very high.