Side Trips from Tokyo - Tokyo - page 299

299

Mount Fuji or Bust

The first documented case of someone scaling Mount Fuji is from the early 8th
century. During the Edo Period, pilgrimages to the top were considered a purify-
ing ritual, with strict rules governing dress and route. Women, thought to defile
sacred places, were prohibited from climbing mountains until 1871.

wake up in time to see the sun rise and then continue climbing.) At the summit is a
1-hour hiking trail that circles the crater. Hikers then begin the descent, reaching the
Fifth Station before noon.
There are about 16 mountain huts along the Kawaguchiko Trail above the Fifth Sta-
tion, but they're very primitive, providing only a futon and toilet facilities. Some have the
capacity to house 500 hikers. The cost is ¥5,250 per person without meals, ¥7,350 with
two meals. Some huts charge ¥1,000 extra for Friday or Saturday night. When I stayed
in one of these huts, dinner consisted of dried fish, rice, miso soup, and pickled vegeta-
bles; breakfast was exactly the same. Still, unless you want to carry your own food, I'd opt
for the meals. Note that most huts are open only in July and August; book as early as you
can to ensure a place. I recommend Seikanso at the Sixth Station ( & 0555/24-6090;
www.seikanso.jp), with flush toilets and open from July to mid-October; Toyokan Hut
at the Seventh Station ( & 0555/22-1040 ), or Taishikan Hut at the Eighth Station
( & 0555/22-1947 ). Call the Japanese Inn Union of Mount Fuji at & 0555/22-1944
for more information.
In the past few decades, there's been a trend in which climbers arrive at the Fifth Station
late in the evening and then climb to the top during the night with the aid of flashlights.
After watching the sunrise, they then make their descent. That way, they don't have to
spend the night in one of the huts. My days of walking up a mountain through the night,
however, are far behind me, but this is certainly an option if your time is limited.
Climbing Mount Fuji is definitely a unique experience, but there's a saying in Japan:
“Everyone should climb Mount Fuji once; only a fool would climb it twice.”

11

7 IZU PENINSULA

Atami: 107km (66 miles) SW of Tokyo; Shuzenji: 140km (87 miles) SW of Tokyo
Whenever Tokyoites want to spend a night or two at a hot-spring spa on the seashore,
they head for Izu Peninsula. Jutting into the Pacific Ocean southwest of Tokyo, Izu boasts
some fine beaches and a dramatic coastline marked in spots by high cliffs and tumbling
surf. It also has a verdant, mountainous interior with quaint hot-spring resorts. However,
even though the scenery is at times breathtaking and Izu offers a relaxing respite from
bustling Tokyo, there's little of historical interest to lure a short-term visitor to Japan;
make sure you've seen both Kamakura and Nikko before you consider coming here.
Keep in mind also that Izu's resorts are terribly crowded during the summer vacation
period from mid-July to the end of August. If you do travel during the peak summer
season, make accommodations reservations at least several months in advance. Other-
wise, there are hotel, ryokan, and minshuku reservation offices in all of Izu's resort towns