Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Don't Miss
The Mountain
Of the iconic images of Japan, Mt Fuji is the real deal. Admiration for the moun-
tain appears in Japan's earliest recorded literature, dating from the 8th century.
Then the now dormant volcano was prone to spewing smoke, making it all the
more revered. Mt Fuji continues to captivate; some 300,000 people climb it every
season.
The Climb
The Japanese proverb 'He who climbs Mount Fuji once is a wise man, he who
climbs it twice is a fool' remains valid. While reaching the top brings a sense of
achievement, it's a gruelling climb, often packed and the apocalyptic landscape is
world's away from Fuji's beauty when viewed from afar.
The Kawaguchi-ko Trail
Of the four trails, Kawaguchi-ko Trail from Kawaguchi-ko Fifth Station (2305m) is
the most popular route. It has the most mountain huts and is the easiest to reach
by public transport from Tokyo.
Timing Your Hike
Many climbers opt to start at night around 10pm, to arrive at the top for dawn.
Go-
raikō
(the rising sun) will leave you speechless (unless it's cloudy). This is the most
time- and money-efficient way, but also when you'll encounter the most people.
Otherwise you can start in the afternoon, spend the night in a mountain hut and
begin again before dawn.
The Summit
At the summit, the crater has a circumference of 4km and it takes about 1½ hours
to complete
o-hachi meguri
, the circling of the top. The highest point (3776m) is
on the opposite side from the trail, and there's a post office to send a postcard back
