Today I'm going to tell you what it's like to climb one of the most famous volcanoes in the world and the national emblem of Japan, Mount Fuji or Fuji San as it is known in Japan.
First of all, I want to tell you that during my entire stay in Japan, during June and July, I was never able to see Mount Fuji in a clear view, that is, without some cloud partially or completely obscuring it. I couldn't even take a single photograph with the volcano in the background.
So, towards the end of the trip (but after doing my research), I decided to take the initiative and go for it. As the saying goes…
If the mountain doesn't come to Muhammad, Muhammad goes to the mountain.
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Table of Contents
Fujisan
Its name has a whole meaning. If we separate and translate each syllable, we see that "Fu" means WEALTH, "Ji" means SAMURAI, and "San" refers to MOUNTAIN.
Mount Fuji is the highest peak in all of Japan, with a height of 3,776 meters above sea level. It is a very important symbol of Japan, where it is still considered a sacred place today.
It is an active volcano, but with a low risk of eruption. The last recorded eruption was in 1707, during the Edo period, when a new crater was formed.
Is it difficult to climb Mount Fuji?
Contrary to what many people think, climbing Mount Fuji is not difficult at all.
Before traveling to Japan, I didn't even know if it was allowed to climb, but once I started researching, I was pleasantly surprised to find that it was quite accessible to reach the summit.
This story is part of my travel itinerary through Japan and South Korea. If you want to see all the posts I wrote, you can start there.
There are four paths, of varying difficulty, to reach the summit:
- Yoshida Route, starts at 2,300 meters above sea level
- Subashiri Route, starts at 2,000 meters
- Gotemba Route, starts at 1,450 meters
- Fujinomiya Route, starts at 2,400 meters
The most popular and busiest is the first, the Yoshida Route, which begins upon reaching the fifth station from Kawaguchiko City. Also, if you want to see the sunrise, this is the ideal route because it starts on this side of the mountain. This is the one I took, and the one I'll tell you about in detail later.
Do you need a guide to climb Mount Fuji?
The truth is, no. Everything is so well signposted and there are so many people climbing, at least during the official season, that it's impossible to get lost. And since the trail isn't particularly difficult, no mountaineering knowledge is required. All you need is a good level of physical fitness, appropriate clothing, and you're good to go.
If you're not looking to climb it but to see Mount Fuji from Tokyo in a day, you can book this tour.
How to get to Mount Fuji and its fifth station
From Kawaguchiko, to get to the fifth station on the Yoshida Trail by public transport, you must take the Fuji Subaru Line bus, which leaves almost every hour from the bus terminal. You can see the season's schedules on this web.
During the official season, departure times are slightly longer, with the last service being at 8:00 p.m.
The cost is 1,540 yen one way or 2,100 yen round trip and it takes between 50 minutes and 1 hour to arrive.
From Tokyo, you can either take the train/bus to Kawaguchiko and then take the bus to the 5th station, or take an express highway bus from Shinjuku bus station to the 5th station directly (I don't know the cost, schedule and times).
What is the best time to climb Mount Fuji?
The official climbing season begins in early July and ends in early September. These are the warmest months in the country, when the snow melts and makes climbing easier (without the need for snowshoes).
Additionally, during this period, public transportation services and arrival times are extended, and shelters and facilities located on Mount Fuji are open.
If the weather cooperates, the season may start a few weeks earlier and end a few weeks later, just be aware of it day by day and check the official website for more information just in case.
Due to the short duration of the official climbing season and the accessibility of the climb, there are often large crowds of people climbing.
They estimate that between 100,000 and 200,000 people climb the mountain each year, including foreigners, who represent 30% of that number. That means that during those two months (or almost three), we're going to encounter a lot of people climbing the mountain.
During other seasons, it may be possible to climb, but when it's very cold, the snow will require greater preparation and better equipment to make the ascent.
Appropriate clothing, footwear, and equipment for climbing Mount Fuji
Cloth
You should wear warm and light clothing if possible. While we'll be warm at times while hiking, it's going to be very cold when we stop to rest or while we're at the summit. I recommend bringing windbreakers and raincoats; mountain weather is very changeable. Also, wear gloves so your hands don't freeze (figuratively speaking :D).
The ideal is to have several layers of clothing, like an onion, which we will put on and take off according to the temperature.
Footwear
Footwear should be suitable for trekking. We'll be walking on small stones the entire time, and the descent can be a bit slippery at times. However, it's not essential. I used normal urban footwear, and it's just as good.
Equipment
If you decide to climb at night, a flashlight is highly recommended. While there are many people climbing and their lights could help us, it's better to have your own so you don't have to rely on anyone else. And it's better if you can wear it on your head to keep your hands free.
Food and water to consume along the way and replenish your energy. While there are stations and shelters that sell provisions, they will be much more expensive. Keep in mind that there are no stations where you can buy them on the descent.
Trekking poles are honestly unnecessary. Many people use them, and even at each station, before making a payment, they can heat seal them as a souvenir. But if it's just a necessity, they're not necessary.
Sunscreen. Very important considering that at high altitude, prolonged exposure to the sun can be harmful.
Cash for any eventuality you may have or purchases you may want to make at the stations.
Internet access is available. If you have a SIM card, you'll have coverage all the time. If not, some stations have free Wi-Fi hotspots.
Some people may experience some dizziness or headaches due to the altitude, especially if they climb quickly. Therefore, they can purchase small oxygen tanks if they really need it, or simply rest a bit to allow their bodies to acclimatize.
Climb Mount Fuji at night
My plan was, like hundreds of others, to climb Mount Fuji at night to reach the summit and see the sunrise from up there.
It may sound crazy or dangerous, but in reality it is totally feasible to achieve, and even interesting, I would say.
The climb from the fifth station to the summit can take between 5 and 7 hours, depending on your fitness level and the length of your stops. Considering that the sun rises at 4:30 a.m., if we leave around 9:00 or 10:00 p.m., we should arrive safely.
The descent can last between 3 to 5 hours, again depending on each person's condition.
Both the ascent and the descent are not too difficult. The path is in very good condition, and we rarely need our hands to help us up.
What did seem endless and quite exhausting to me was the descent. With the accumulated fatigue from the climb, the hours spent descending will make our knees give out at some point :O.
How to get to Mount Fuji 5th Station at night
If we're in Kawaguchico, the last bus leaving the terminal for the fifth station during the summer is at 8:00 p.m. The trip takes approximately one hour, so by 9:00 p.m., when we get off the bus, we'll already be at an altitude of 2,300 meters.
The 5th station is the final point where the asphalt reaches, and it's usually very busy both day and night. There are several places that are packed with tourists during the day who come to hang out and enjoy the already beautiful views from there.
At night, even though the clubs are closed, there are many people gathering and preparing to climb.
I recommend waiting until 10:00 p.m. to start climbing, because if we leave earlier and climb at a good pace, we run the risk of reaching the summit too early, and we'll have to wait longer up there, where it's very cold.
Starting the night ascent on Mount Fuji
At 10:00 p.m., I started climbing Mount Fuji. Dressed in a base layer of warm clothing and carrying a headlamp, I set off. The cold hits as soon as we get off the bus; we're at 2,300 meters and it's nighttime.
Just starting out, I got chatting with a German man who was on the same route as me, just the two of us, so we decided to go together to make the climb more enjoyable. Later, he recognized other people, and the group grew to four.
If you're as lucky as I was, and the night is clear, you'll be able to see the lights of the different cities and towns at the foot of the volcano.
The first thing you see is Kawaguchico, but as you move forward you will see Gotemba and some more distant cities.
The views we have are similar to those we see when we are in an airplane at night, seeing the small lights of the cities down below, wherever we are flying over.
I can tell you I felt so happy to be doing this at that moment. The night was super calm, with no wind or clouds, so we could enjoy the views as we climbed. The stars and the moon completed the idyllic panorama we were observing.
As we continue, we pass the other stations and shelters along the way to the summit. There are 10 stations in total, from the foot of the volcano to the summit, with the 5th being our starting point and the 10th being the last station at the summit.
At these stations and shelters, you can take advantage of the opportunity to buy supplies (drinks and/or food, which become more expensive as you climb), rest outside, or stay inside if you reserve days or weeks in advance.
If you want to rest for a few hours inside the shelters, be prepared to shell out a good amount of yen, because they aren't cheap.
Another spectacle, as we climb, is looking up at the path of tiny lights that guides us along the route we're about to follow. These luminescences are the result of the flashlights of hundreds of people climbing and the lighting of the various stops along Mount Fuji.
Watch the sunrise from the top of Mount Fuji
As I mentioned before, the climb isn't particularly difficult; it's not steep (except for some sections), and the trail is very well marked. All you need is perseverance, good physical condition, and warm clothing, and sooner or later you'll reach your destination.
As we pass the 8th station, we'll see the number of people on the trail increase. What happens is that many of those resting in the shelters decide to leave at that same time to watch the sunrise from the summit.
We'll suddenly find ourselves queuing to continue moving forward. Such a bottleneck forms that we'll move very slowly.
As we approach the summit, the cold and wind also increase.
It's around 4:00 a.m., and we can already see the sky starting to clear. The hour is approaching, but the line isn't moving. Some people are getting a little anxious and are starting to "cut in line" to see if they can make it to the summit in time.
The truth is, with so little time left to reach the summit, it's the same whether you're watching the sunrise from the top or a few meters below. Once you're above 3,500 meters, the views are equally incredible no matter where you are.
The clouds are at our feet, and finally, just as they said, around 4:30, the sun, that blazing star, makes its long-awaited appearance.
A general exclamation is heard from all of us there, that what we are seeing is something very beautiful.
These are magical moments, where all of us who are still climbing stop to turn around and see firsthand why Japan is called the Land of the Rising Sun.
Summit Mount Fuji
It's a shame that the magical moment I'm talking about couldn't last long (at least not as long as one would have wanted).
A few minutes after sunrise, clouds appeared all around, completely covering us.
By the time we reached the summit, it was already overcast and raining. It was very, very cold, and combined with the strong wind, it was quite difficult for us to stay there.
The idea was to rest, eat something, and even walk around the entire volcano crater (another 1 to 2 hours). But the weather slapped us in the face.
We couldn't see anything beyond 50 meters from our position. We had to take refuge in the public restrooms located there.
As time passed, we decided to cancel the return trip to the crater, and as soon as the weather calmed down a bit, we would begin the descent.
Mountain weather is like that. It can be completely calm, but in a matter of minutes, dark clouds appear and the whole landscape changes.
Descending from the summit of Mount Fuji to the 5th station
After 30 minutes, when the rain stopped, we took the opportunity to leave the bathroom and begin the long descent.
Luckily, 10 minutes later, much of the sky cleared and we saw the sun again, which had been hidden for a while.
The intense cold is easing a little, and the temperature improves as we descend, even more so with the sun warming us a little.
Now with daylight, and without so many clouds in between, we can appreciate some incredible views.
What you can't see at night, or when we're covered by clouds, are these spectacular images of a surreal landscape. I often felt like I was inside an oil painting, where everything around me wasn't real, but a portrait.
You can see everything, hundreds of miles away. The lakes surrounding the volcano, the surrounding mountains, cities that just hours ago were just lights in the distance, clouds drifting by, absolutely everything.
The images speak for themselves.
These images will accompany us for almost the entire descent. We're going to get tired of taking so many photographs.
Having such a landscape constantly before us makes the hours we're descending less monotonous. Our knees are tired from so much repetitive movement, but the surroundings distract us.
Only the last stretch, past the 7th station, was very tiring. The scenery isn't as enchanting as it once was, and my legs were crying out for a stop.
When we arrived at the fifth station around 11:00 a.m., we found ourselves surrounded by people. Packed with people who came on tours and public transportation, just to explore the station.
Returning to Kawaguchiko from the 5th Station
When we saw so many people crowded together, all we wanted to do was get out of there.
Part of the group took a bus to Tokyo, and I returned with the German to Kawaguchiko. We said our goodbyes and each of us went our separate ways.
The night before, we had arrived on a practically empty bus; now we're returning to a crowded one. We were so tired that we sat on the floor and slept the entire trip.
And so this adventure comes to an end.
If you want to read other articles about Japan, you can visit the posts I wrote about Tokyo: the city of my dreams, Kyoto: the cultural capital and Osaka: lights, retro and somewhat disappointing
Conclusions from climbing Mount Fuji
Although, as I told you at the beginning, I was never able to see Mount Fuji from afar, something that still causes me a bit of disappointment today, the entire experience of climbing to the top made it possible to enjoy it in a different way, not just seeing it, but being on IT.
I hesitated for a long time about embarking on this journey. I was exhausted from a long, intense trip to Japan, and I didn't know if my body would respond as it should. Furthermore, I didn't have the appropriate footwear or warm clothing necessary for this endeavor.
Finally, my desire won over my doubts, and luckily it was so.
You'll have noticed that I loved the entire experience. From climbing up in the dark at night, seeing the stars and lights on the horizon, admiring the sun rising from behind the clouds, and contemplating those landscapes straight out of a painting during the descent. It was all like a dream.
Yes, I was very cold at times, and in the end my legs were very tired, but it was well worth the effort.
If you enjoy mountain trekking and are in Japan during the official season, I highly recommend it.
You will never forget it.
Finally, I share with you a well-known Japanese proverb related to the Mountain:
The wise man climbs Mount Fuji once in his life;
Proverbio Japones
the idiot climbs it twice
Although I don't really agree, because there are several ways to go up, and I doubt anyone will get tired of having those panoramic views, I liked the idea of it :D.
This concludes this story about climbing Mount Fuji at night. If you have any questions about the climb, feel free to comment below and I'll get back to you as soon as I can.
For photography lovers, there are more images of Japan in the photo gallery of this beautiful country.
See you on the next adventure!