Mount Fuji

Mount Fuji, at a height of 3776 meters, is Japan's highest mountain. Visible from Tokyo on a clear day, the mountain is located to the west of Tokyo on the main island Honshu.

The official climbing season lasts for only two months, from July to August. Even during these months, when Tokyo often swelters in 40-degree heat, temperatures at the top can be below freezing at night and climbers must dress adequately.

Climbing outside the official season is not only technically illegal without police permission but extremely dangerous without alpine climbing experience and equipment. Nearly all facilities are closed in the off season. The weather, unpredictable any time of year, is downright vicious in the winter and there are cases of people being literally blown off the mountain by high winds.

Getting There

By bus
The quickest option for reaching the slopes of Mt. Fuji is to take the Keio express bus from Shinjuku in Tokyo. The direct bus takes 2 to 2.5 hours, depending on traffic, costs ¥2600, and takes you directly to the start of the climb at Kawaguchiko 5th Station. To buy a ticket, take the west exit at Shinjuku station, then follow the circle of busstops to the left. The Keio building is on the corner near stop 26, right across the large camera shop.

By train
Alternatively, you can go via the nearby town of Fujiyoshida, which you can reach by taking the JR Chuo line to Otsuki and changing to the Fujikyu line. The Fujikyu line passes through Fujiyoshida to Kawaguchiko, from where hourly buses (50 minutes, ¥1700) shuttle to the 5th Station.

Visitors coming from Chubu or Kansai may wish to opt for the southern approach via Fujinomiya instead. The nearest Tokaido Shinkansen stop is Shin-Fuji station. If arriving on the ordinary Tokaido line, change trains to the JR Fujinomiya line at Fuji station.