Mount Fuji

At 3,776 metres, Mount Fuji is Japan's highest point and its most recognisable silhouette: a near-perfect cone that has appeared in Hokusai woodblocks, Shinto pilgrimage records, and the window view of half the bullet trains in the country.

The official climbing season runs from early July to around 10 September. The Yoshida Trail is the most storied route: stone torii gates, mountain huts that have served climbers since the Edo period, and a summit crater that few non-Japanese visitors take the time to walk the full circumference of.

We time the ascent for the later weeks of the season, when crowds thin, and plan the pace with a private mountain guide so the climb feels steady rather than rushed.

The rules on the Yoshida Trail have tightened since 2024. Climbers now pay a fee at the fifth station, daily numbers are capped, and the gate closes overnight to anyone without a reservation at a mountain hut. In practice, that means a sunrise from the summit requires a night in one of the huts on the upper slopes, followed by an early start for the final climb. The rules are designed to stop the overnight rush that used to leave exhausted climbers crowded on the summit in freezing wind, and they have made the experience safer and calmer.

The climb itself is demanding rather than technical. From the fifth station at around 2,300 metres, the Yoshida Trail takes most fit walkers five to seven hours to reach the summit, and three to four hours to descend on a separate path of loose volcanic gravel. The air is thin near the top, and altitude sickness is common among those who climb too fast. Warm layers, a waterproof jacket, gloves, a headlamp and sturdy boots are essential: temperatures at the summit can fall close to freezing even in August.

The weather decides everything. Summer clouds often hide the mountain from below, and storms can close the trails. Early mornings offer the best chance of clear views, and the upper slopes are sometimes above the clouds entirely, which is the source of the famous sea-of-clouds sunrise.

If you would rather see Fuji than climb it, the Fuji Five Lakes area on its northern side offers the classic views. Lake Kawaguchiko has viewpoints along its shore, and the Chureito Pagoda above Fujiyoshida frames the mountain behind a five-storey pagoda, especially striking in cherry blossom season. Oshino Hakkai, a village of spring-fed ponds, and the lava caves around the lakes are worth a visit. Hakone, to the southeast, combines hot springs, a lake cruise and, on clear days, views of the peak. The clearest views of all usually come in winter, from November to February.

The Fuji Five Lakes are around two hours from Shinjuku by highway bus or train, and buses run directly to the Yoshida Trail's fifth station during the climbing season. Staying overnight near Kawaguchiko, ideally in a ryokan with hot spring baths and mountain views, gives you the early morning when the peak is most often clear.

For those planning the climb, a sensible schedule starts with a night near the Fuji Five Lakes to acclimatise and prepare. On the day of the climb, take a morning bus to the fifth station, spend an hour there adjusting to the altitude, then climb steadily through the afternoon to a mountain hut on the upper slopes. After a simple dinner and a few hours of rest, leave in the early hours for the summit, arriving in time for sunrise. Walk part of the crater rim if conditions allow, then descend in the morning, reaching the fifth station by early afternoon.

Mountain huts are basic, with shared sleeping spaces, simple meals and limited toilets, and they fill quickly in peak season, so reserve well in advance. The busiest weeks are around the mid-August holidays, and weekends are always busier than weekdays. Late August and early September usually bring thinner crowds, though the weather becomes less predictable as the season ends.

Outside the climbing season, the mountain is closed to climbers, and attempts in winter are dangerous and strongly discouraged. The lower slopes, lakes and forests remain beautiful all year, and many visitors find that seeing Fuji reflected in a lake at dawn is as memorable as standing on its summit.