Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
showcases the work of Kubota Itchiku, who refined the traditional
tsujigahana
textile-patterning technique and applied it to kimono. Inside the pyramid-shaped
building are pieces from the artist's
Symphony of Light
series, a continuous mountain
landscape through the seasons, formed when the kimono are placed side by side.
Mount Fuji
࢜ࢁ
“A wise man climbs Fuji once. A fool climbs it twice”, says the Japanese proverb. Don't
let the sight of children and grannies trudging up lull you into a false sense of security:
this is a tough climb. There are several
routes
up the volcano, with the ascent divided
into sections known as
stations
. Most people take a bus to the Kawaguchi-ko fifth
station (
go-gōme
), about halfway up the volcano, where a Swiss-chalet-style gift shop
marks the end of the road. The traditional hike, though, begins at Fuji-Yoshida;
walking from here to the fifth station takes around five hours, and it's another six hours
before you reach the summit. Many choose to climb at night to reach the summit by
dawn; during the season, the lights of climbers' torches resemble a line of fireflies
trailing up the volcanic scree.
Essential items to carry include at least one litre of water and some food, a torch and
batteries, a raincoat and extra clothes; however hot it might be at the start of the climb,
the closer you get to the summit the colder it becomes, with temperatures dropping to
well below freezing, and sudden rain and lightning strikes not uncommon.
Mount Fuji's o
cial
climbing season
, when all the facilities on the mountain are
open, including lodging huts and phones at the summit, runs from July 1 to the end
of August. You can climb outside these dates, but don't expect all, or indeed any, of
the facilities to be in operation, and be prepared for snow and extreme cold towards
the summit.
Once you're at the summit, it will take around an hour to make a circuit of the crater.
Otherwise you can take part in the time-honoured tradition of making a phone call or
mailing a letter from the post o
ce.
20
ARRIVAL AND DEPARTURE
FUJI FIVE LAKES
By bus
The easiest way to reach the Fuji Five Lakes area is
to take the bus (¥1700; 1hr 45min in good tra
c) from the
Shinjuku bus terminal in Tokyo, on the west side of the train
station; during the climbing season there are frequent
services, including at least three a day that run directly to
the fifth station on Mount Fuji.
By train
The train
journey from Shinjuku station involves
transferring from the JR Chūō line to the Fuji Kyūkō line at
Ōtsuki, from where local trains (some with Thomas the
Tank Engine decoration) chug first to Mount Fuji station
(the old name, Fuji-Yoshida, is still commonly used) and
then on to Kawaguchi-ko; the whole process will take at
least 2 hours (¥2390). On weekends, the early-morning
Holiday Rapid
train from Shinjuku does the trip directly;
ironically, it takes longer (2hr 20min; also ¥2390).
GETTING AROUND
Buses
A comprehensive system of buses will help you
get around once you've arrived at either Fuji-Yoshida or
Kawaguchi-ko.
Travel passes
The two-day Retrobus pass (¥1000 or
¥1300, depending on the route) allows travel around the
Five Lakes area, while the Fuji Hakone Pass allows you to
combine the Fuji Five Lakes area with a trip around Hakone
(see p.219).
ACCOMMODATION ON MOUNT FUJI
There are seventeen
huts
on Fuji, most of which provide dorm accommodation from around
¥5000 per night (add ¥1000 on weekends) for just a bed (no need for a sleeping bag), with
an option to add meals for ¥1000 each. It's essential to book in advance during the o
cial
climbing season (July & Aug). The huts also sell snacks and stamina-building dishes, such as
curry rice. For a full list of the huts, with contact numbers, see the Fuji-Yoshida city website
(
W
www.city.fujiyoshida.yamanashi.jp).
