Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
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walk from the west side of Shinjuku Station in front of the Yasuda Seimi no. 2 Building,
require reservations, which you can make at the
Keio Highway Bus Reservation Center
(Keio Kosoku Bus Yoyaku Center;
&
03/5376-2222
) or a travel agency such as JTB.
Less frequent
Fujikyu Buses
(
&
0555/72-5111
) depart from Tokyo Station's Yaesu
south exit for Kawaguchiko Station for ¥1,700, but the trip takes an hour longer.
VISITOR INFORMATION
More information and train and bus schedules can be
obtained from the
Tourist Information Center,
including a leaflet called “Mount Fuji
and Fuji Five Lakes.” See “Visitor Information,” in chapter 3. Another good source is
Fujiyoshida City's official website, www.city.fujiyoshida.yamanashi.jp, which carries
information on the Kawaguchiko-Yoshidaguchi Trail, bus schedules from Tokyo, moun-
tain huts, and other information. Finally, there's a tourist information office at Kawagu-
chiko Station (
&
0555/72-6700
), open daily 9am to 5pm during climbing season.
CLIMBING MOUNT FUJI
Mount Fuji is part of a larger national park called
Fuji-Hakone-Izu National Park.
Of
the handful of trails leading to the top, most popular for Tokyoites is the
Kawaguchiko-
Yoshidaguchi Trail,
which is divided into 10 different stages; the Fifth Station, located
about 2,475m (8,120 ft.) up and served by bus, is the usual starting point. From here it
takes about 6 hours to reach the summit and 3 hours for the descent.
PREPARING FOR YOUR CLIMB
Because of snow and inclement weather from fall
through late spring, the best time to make an ascent is during the “official” climbing
season from July through August. Keep in mind that this is not a solitary pursuit. Rather,
more than 400,000 people climb Fuji-san every year, mostly in July and August and
mostly on weekends—so if you plan on climbing Mount Fuji on a Saturday or a Sunday
in summer, go to the end of the line, please.
You don't need climbing experience to ascend Mount Fuji (you'll see everyone from
grandmothers to children making the pilgrimage), but you do need stamina and a good
pair of walking shoes. The climb is possible in tennis shoes, but if the rocks are wet, they
can get awfully slippery. You should also bring a light plastic raincoat (which you can buy
at souvenir shops at the Fifth Station), since it often rains on the mountain, a sun hat,
sunglasses, sunscreen, water, snacks, a sweater for the evening, gloves, socks, tissues (for
pay toilets, which may not have toilet paper), and a flashlight (or headlamp) if you plan
on hiking at night. Keep in mind, too, that it gets very chilly on Mount Fuji at night.
Even in August, the average temperature on the summit is 41°F (5°C). Finally, there are
places to eat and rest on the way to the top, but prices are high, so carry as many snacks
and liquids with you as you can.
Don't be disappointed when your bus deposits you at
Kawaguchiko Fifth Station,
where you'll be bombarded with souvenir shops, restaurants, and busloads of tourists;
most of these tourists aren't climbing to the top. As soon as you get past them and the
blaring loudspeakers, you'll find yourself on a steep rocky path, surrounded only by scrub
brush and the hikers on the path below and above you. After a couple of hours, you'll
probably find yourself above the roiling clouds, which stretch in all directions. It will be
as if you are on an island, barren and rocky, in the middle of an ocean.
STRATEGIES FOR CLIMBING TO THE TOP
The usual procedure for climbing
Mount Fuji is to take a morning bus, start climbing in early afternoon, spend the night
near the summit, get up early in the morning to climb the rest of the way to the top, and
then watch the sun rise (about 4:30am) from atop Mount Fuji. (You can, of course, also
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