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Mt. Fuji 2020 Climbing Season Canceled Due to Coronavirus

Date published: 19 May 2020
Last updated: 22 May 2020

On May 18, Shizuoka Prefecture announced that the mountain trails that lead up to the peak of Mount Fuji would stay closed through the 2020 climbing season due to the coronavirus.

Shizuoka Prefecture, which manages three of the four trails that lead to the summit, made the decision after neighboring Yamanashi Prefecture announced similarly that it would close the trail under its own management for the July-September climbing season.

In addition to the Yoshida Trail on the Yamanashi side, the Subashiri Trail , Gotemba Trail, and Fujinomiya Trail are all closed. This includes the closure of the Mt. Fuji mountain huts and public toilets.

A Yamanashi Prefecture official commented on the decision, saying that, "since the 8th station and the mountain hut are closed, it is not possible to patrol and maintain the mountain trail above the 5th station." Similarly, a Shizuoka Prefecture official stated that it made the decision to shut the trails as "[it] cannot secure the safety of climbers."

Both prefectures plan to carry out trail repairs and measures against falling rocks for the next climbing term.

According to Ministry of the Environment data, the Yoshida Trail accounted for 64% of the 236,000 climbers in the 2019 Mount Fuji climbing season, with the Fujinomiya Trail accounting for around 23%.

Unfortunately, we can't climb Mt. Fuji in 2020, but we are all looking forward to seeing the trails restart next year. In the meantime, we hope the following links are helpful in planning your trip!