Climbing Mount Fuji: Japan's Most Sacred and Most Climbed Mountain

Mount Fuji is Japan's highest mountain at 3,776 metres and its most sacred — a UNESCO World Heritage Site that has been the object of religious pilgrimage for over a thousand years. The mountain's perfect symmetrical cone, formed by four overlapping stratovolcanoes, is the most recognisable natural landmark in Japan, and the view of it from the Fuji Five Lakes or from the Shinkansen between Tokyo and Osaka is one of the finest in the country.

The official climbing season runs from July 1 to September 10, when the mountain huts are open and the trails are maintained. Outside this window, the mountain is covered in snow and ice, and climbing it requires mountaineering experience and equipment. During the season, the mountain is climbed by around 300,000 people — a number that has led to significant overcrowding on the most popular Yoshida Trail, and to the introduction of crowd control measures including a gate that closes the trail at night.

The Yoshida Trail, starting from the Fuji Subaru Line 5th Station at 2,305 metres, is the most popular route — a six to eight-hour climb to the summit through a landscape of volcanic rock, mountain huts, and increasingly thin air. The trail is well-marked and well-maintained, and the mountain huts offer food, water, and basic accommodation for those who want to climb overnight to watch the sunrise (goraiko) from the summit.

The sunrise from the summit of Fuji is one of the finest in Japan — the sun rising over the Pacific, the shadow of the mountain stretching to the horizon, the clouds below catching the first light. The climb to the summit in the dark, guided by the headlamps of the thousands of other climbers, is a strange and memorable experience — a procession of lights ascending through the volcanic darkness.

The altitude is the main challenge of climbing Fuji. Above 3,000 metres, altitude sickness is a genuine risk, and the combination of the physical exertion of the climb and the reduced oxygen can cause headaches, nausea, and fatigue. The standard advice is to climb slowly, drink plenty of water, and descend immediately if symptoms worsen. The mountain huts at the 7th and 8th stations offer the opportunity to rest and acclimatise before the final push to the summit.

The Fuji Five Lakes (Fujigoko) at the northern base of the mountain are the finest place to view Fuji from below — particularly Lake Kawaguchiko, where the reflection of the mountain in the lake on a calm morning is one of the most photographed images in Japan. The Chureito Pagoda, a five-storey pagoda on a hillside above Fujiyoshida with Fuji rising behind it, is the most famous viewpoint.

The best time to climb Fuji is in late July or August, when the weather is most stable and the mountain huts are fully operational. The early season (July) and late season (September) offer fewer crowds but more unpredictable weather. The view of Fuji from below is best in winter (December to February), when the mountain is snow-capped and the air is clear, and in spring (April to May), when the cherry blossoms in the Fuji Five Lakes area are in bloom.