According to the official Mt. Fuji Climbing website, dates for the 2023 season were:
1. Yoshida Route: July 1 - September 10 (Descending trail will be open until the morning of September 11)
2. Subashiri Route: July 10 to September 10
3. Gotemba Route: July 10 to September 10
4. Fujinomiya Route: July 10 - September 10 (Trail between 5th and 6th station: open from July 1)

Dates for 2024 are not yet published but are expected to be similar to the previous year.

In addition to the introduction of climbing reservations, a major change from previous years is that climbers starting after 4 PM will need to show evidence they have reserved accommodations at a mountain hut.

If you're gearing up to tackle the Yoshida Trail on Mount Fuji in 2024, there are several other important details to consider.

Reservation and Payment
・Reservation Fee: From 2024, a fee of 2,000 yen is required to secure your passage. This fee must be prepaid online via a reservation system.
・Conservation Donation: While optional, climbers are encouraged to contribute to the Mount Fuji Conservation Fund. This can be paid along with the reservation fee.

Reservation Details
・Type of Reservation: Please note that this reservation is solely for trail access. It does not include accommodations at mountain huts.
・Booking Deadline: Reservations can be made up until 11:59 PM the day before your intended climb.
・Capacity Limits: Bookings are subject to daily caps (4,000 people per day, as of May 2024). Once the limit is reached, reservations will close for that day.
・Check-In: Even if you have pre-paid, you must pass through the Fifth Station gate by 4 PM on the day of your climb. Failure to do so will result in being barred from the trail, unless you are staying overnight in a mountain hut.

Important Notices
・Cancellations: Once payment is completed, refunds are not available for cancellations made due to personal reasons, including delays in transportation. However, if you decide not to climb, there's no need to cancel your reservation formally.
・Changes to Reservation: After payment, changes to the climbing date or cancellations due to mistakes in selecting the date are not eligible for refunds. If you need to climb on a different day, a new reservation and payment will be required.
・Refunds for Access Issues: If trail access is closed due to reasons beyond your control, such as governmental decisions, your fee will be refunded.

Making Your Reservation
・See the official website below to book your climb on the Yoshida Trail.

In the Shizuoka Prefecture trails (Subashiri, Gotemba, and Fujinomiya), a social experiment will be conducted aiming to manage mountain entry using digital transformation (DX).

As part of this experiment, all climbers will be required to pre-register their climbing plans and other details via a web-based system. According to the official Mt. Fuji Climbing website, the pre-registration site is currently being prepared and details will be updated in this article.

Preparing items to bring based on how experienced a climber you are is highly recommended.

Depending on your level of hiking expertise, you should make sure to bring items that are essential to complete your hike.

Climbing boots, a knapsack, rain gear, cold-weather gear, and spats will definitely assist in your hike. If you are climbing during the night, reflective clothing and headlamps will keep you from fumbling in the dark.

Although there are huts that provide snacks and drinks intermittently, it is best to bring your own snacks and water for times when you are between stations.

Please create a Mt. Fuji checklist beforehand to see if you have all of the following:
☑ Shoes: Mountain climbing shoes, hiking boots
☑ Rainwear: Waterproof jackets
☑ Clothes: Bottoms: Hiking pants and thermal underwear; Tops: Shirts, warm undershirt, flannels, fleeces, sweaters, and down jackets that you can layer.
☑ Lights: Headlamps or head torches.
☑ Water: Around 2 liters.
☑ Light Meals: Anything portable (sandwiches, onigiri, snack bars).
☑ Trash Bags: Prepare a trash bag that you can bring back with you.
☑ Money: Most lodges do not accept credit cards, so it’s best to have some cash at hand - in 1,000 yen bills as well as larger values. (20,000 yen should well cover the journey, including meals.) Be sure to bring 100 yen coins, as they are needed to use the bathroom.
☑ Other: A backpack, a hat, a map, sunglasses, sunscreen, medkit, towel, ID, insurance card (if you have one), masks, hand sanitizer, trekking poles（*You can purchase a walking stick if you wish to collect a series of seal stamps during your ascent.)

Plan your route
There are four main climbing trails for Mount Fuji: the Yoshida Trail, the Subashiri Trail, the Gotemba Trail, and the Fujinomiya Trail. You can learn more about each at the link below.

Mount Fuji is an isolated mountain that has an altitude of around 3,000 meters. A north wind that travels from Suruga and Sagami Bay creates increasingly unstable weather conditions the higher up the mountain you go.

These harsh conditions have led to many accidents in the past, so you must be cautious when starting your ascent.

Furthermore, the weather and temperature conditions at Mount Fuji’s fifth station, which leads you from the foot of the mountain to the summit, can change very quickly.

Being able to adjust to any change is crucial. We recommend being as prepared as possible by checking the weather forecast beforehand.

Additionally, the temperature change from the fifth station to the summit is extreme. It’s very normal to experience winter temperatures even in the summer.

Although there are times when the temperature change isn’t very drastic, a chill brought by the wind can cause a sudden drop in body temperature.

In the summer, before daybreak, it can go all the way down to freezing. This puts you in danger of getting hypothermia.

Moreover, Mount Fuji has many days of unstable weather and thunder during the summer. In the winter or snow season, a strong wind that travels from the northwest can cause avalanches.

In order to protect yourself from all of these sudden changes, it’s good to be somewhat overly prepared.

Everyone can be affected by altitude sickness, especially those that decide to climb Mt. Fuji at a rapid pace.

Symptoms of altitude sickness include headaches, nausea, fatigue, and dizziness, which may impede your hike.

To avoid this inconvenience, it is recommended to acclimate to the elevation by waiting around 30 minutes after arriving at the 5th station.

At the majority of the hiking trail stations, there are huts that provide temporary accommodations and meals. The fee usually runs from 5,000 yen to 9,000 yen per person, depending on the meal plan if applicable.

The only method of payment accepted is cash, so be sure to bring enough to cover the costs.

Reservations along the most popular trails are mandatory and walk-ins are very rarely accommodated.

Links
・Mountain huts on the Yoshida Trail (in Japanese)
・Mountain huts on the Subashiri Trail (in Japanese)
・Mountain huts on the Gotemba Trail (in Japanese)
・Mountain huts on the Fujinomiya Trail (partially in English)

Before starting your ascent, don't forget to bring several 100 yen coins with you. Restrooms on Mt. Fuji are not free and cost between 100 and 300 yen.

Most work on the honor system with a few having an attendant nearby. If you are climbing during the off-season, you are required to bring your own portable toilet.

In order to preserve the beauty of Mt. Fuji, it is mandatory that all visitors carry their trash with them home for disposal.

Make sure to bring a bag where you can toss your garbage safely in your backpack. By doing this, we can all do our part to keep Mt. Fuji clean.

Traveling by train or bus, the nearest stations differ between each of the four climbing trails. Below are directions for the Yoshida Route when traveling from Tokyo.

・By Direct Bus from Tokyo:
Take a direct bus from the Shinjuku Expressway Bus Terminal to the 5th Station (approx. 1 1/2 hours).

・By Train:
JR Tokyo Station → JR Shinjuku Station → JR Takao Station → JR Otsuki Station → Fujikyu Line Mt. Fuji Station (approx. 3 hours and 4 minutes).

Then, take the Fujikyu Bus 'Fuji Subaru Line 5th Station' from Mt. Fuji Station (approx. 1 hour).

Remember to be courteous to other hikers and that people ascending take precedence over people descending. When passing by mountain huts at night, try to keep your voices down for those taking time to rest.

Finally, the entirety of Mt. Fuji is a national park, so taking home stones or plants is prohibited. Keep these in mind while hiking and you will definitely have a great and memorable experience. Happy hiking!