Interested in hiking Mt.Fuji? Below are some notes/tips to consider before your breathtaking hike…
PLEASE NOTE BEFORE READING ANY FURTHER the season of your travel. There are restrictions toward the public for when you can climb the mountain (http://www.fujisan-climb.jp/en/).
First things first, what should you bring?
Be sure to have proper clothing and footwear. DON’T be the person who wears a pair of converse. There are multiple rocky/uneasy terrains. So, the likelihood of you rolling your ankle is increased. As well, adequate clothing is ESSENTIAL – especially if you are doing the overnight hike to see the sunrise. Wear multiple layers (water wicking long underwear to separate your body and sweat, water resistant outside layer, hiking socks, headband/face shield, thick gloves)… even though it is warm at the foot of the mountain during the day, the weather is 50x different with the night wind and frigid temperatures at the peak. Additionally, be sure to bring enough protein/carbohydrate rich snacks, plenty of water and a headlight (if you are hiking through the night).
Are you traveling from Tokyo and have extra baggage that you don’t need to bring?
You may want to consider checking your luggage into Sawaga Express located in the Tokyo Station. It is around 800 yen per day. However, if this is the last outing of your time in Japan, check out their airport delivery option for more ease in your departure back home.
1st floor of First Avenue Tokyo Station Sagawa Express Tokyo Hands-Free Travel Baggage Storage Service Desk 1-9-1,marunouchi,chiyoda-ku,Tokyo, 100-0005
How to travel from Tokyo to Mt. Fuji?
Prior to departing for Fujisan, be sure to purchase a ticket online (http://bus-en.fujikyu.co.jp/highway/detail/id/37/). One-way trip for an adult is 1,800 yen.
Based on the location of our accommodation, we took the bus from Tokyo Station Tekko Building to Fujisan Station. There are multiple Airbnb/hostel/hotel options to decide between (our airbnb was conveniently walking distance to the station).
How to get to Fuji-Subaru 5th station?
The following day of travel to the mountain entailed taking the local bus from Fujisan to Kawaguchiko station. Be sure to have enough spare yen to drop into the deposit box when you arrive and walk off the bus.
From there, you will need to purchase a ticket from Kawaguchiko Station to Fuji-Subaru 5th station (round trip ticket 2,100 yen – but you MUST know the exact time you will leave/return. SO, be sure to allow enough time after trek down the mountain for the bus ride back).
You’ve made it to Fuji-Subaru 5th station, now what?
Before heading on the trail, you will need to adjust to the altitude difference. We spent around 2 hours (arrived around 4:30 pm and began the trek around 6:30 pm). Don’t worry you aren’t just sitting around with nothing to do. There are multiple shops and stores, but… THEY ONLY ACCEPT CASH. So, if you are planning on getting some food or souvenirs, be sure to have plenty of money.
NOTE: What you buy you have to bring up the mountain – unless you purchase a locker.
Speaking of the food, when we arrived there was only one restaurant open and a corn stand (the most random food you would expect them to serve – I know). We luckily brought Onigiri (meat/vegetable stuffed rice balls) as extra meals, but also ordered some soup to sit and relax in the restaurant.
A majority of the shops at the 5th station have unique Mt. Fuji walking sticks that you can purchase for around 1,000 yen. These are great as memorable items because at each station on your ascent, you can have a stamp burned into the wood. However, these imprints do cost extra and the price varies at every level: small ones for around 300 yen and large ones for around 500 yen.
I suggest waiting for the larger ones to get more for your buck!
Notes on the Hike
There is a voluntary 1,000-yen donation to climb. This money is used to ensure the best maintenance of paths (considering how many people annually go up the trail).
At a majority of the stations there are windows to purchase some essentials: snacks (candy bars, chips, ramen), water, hot cocoa/coffee, gloves and of course the stamps. Additionally, some of the stations have restrooms available, however, they do require a small fee.
NOTE: As you ascend, prices of goods will increase substantially.
Catching the Sunrise on Japan’s Highest Peak
There will be a lot of talk about staying a hut to get some “rest” before sunrise. We decided against this, even though the officials for the mountain highly suggest not to “bullet climb” (fancy way to say hike through the night). We knew we were going to pace it out properly and take a decent number of breaks on our way up the trail. So, paying a high wage for 2-3 hours to share a room with dozens of other travelers wasn’t our forte. However, I will say one pro of the rooming situation would be getting out of the cold for a little while. I’m not going to lie, it was EXTREMELY cold and became very hard to breathe as we approached the peak.
Side Comment: We actually met some other travelers who paid for the hut. They told us that there was no way they would get any rest due to how packed the rooms were. But, they did say getting out of the wind for a couple of hours was nice.
It is very important to note when the sun will rise (for us it was about 4:30 am). You want to be sure to leave early enough to escape the traffic that will build up as the break of dawn approaches. The last thing you want is to be stuck behind someone and miss a good seat for the spectacular sight that you endured the hike for.
Alright, you’ve finally made it to the top! Now, it’s time to scope out a perfect seat. Again, there will be large crowds gathering around to observe the rising of the sun… luckily there is plenty of room to bundle up at the high ground (we ended up camping out a seat on the gravel beyond the bathrooms).
On average, it takes around 5-7 hours to ascend and 3-5 to descend. By far, one of the worst parts was zig-zagging down the mountain. Think about it, there’s nothing exciting to push through the fatigue like before. Now, you are sleep deprived, sore and hungry…perfect combo. But, what goes up must come down.
NOTE: It will begin to warm up immediately as the sun comes out. This is why it is important to wear layers, so you can shed them off on the descent.
Be Safe and Happy Hiking! 🙂
