This post was written by Greg Logan. In addition all photos were taken by Greg. Greg’s blog can be found here.

Before I go on to tell you that climbing Fuji will make you three inches taller, will give you a full head of hair and put ten years on your life, I feel obligated to point out that a certain photographer/blogger/climber/whiner never actually made it to the summit of the mountain and therefore, in my opinion, lacks the steely resolve and mental fortitude to make a sound judgment on the merits of completing the ascent. And frankly, I don’t know if he would have appreciated the sunrise at the top with all those tears in his eyes.

Now that that’s out of the way, let’s get down to brass tacks: Should you or shouldn’t you climb Mount Fuji?

Is it exhausting? Yep. Is it crowded? Oh lord yes. Is it freezing on top? You’d better believe it. Is it worth it? Hell yes!

The Long Road Up

My ascent of Fuji began around 8 o’clock when the bus from Shinjuku station dumped me and my 2 intrepid friends off at the Kawaguchiko 5th Stage, by far the most popular starting point for climbers. After slipping on another layer of clothing and a bit of carbo loading (as all the restaurants were already closed! grrrr), we made our way to the trail head. We started off at an easy, but deliberate pace, taking rests whenever needed. Unfortunately, aside from the company of your fellow travelers and a remarkably brilliant night sky that is no loner veiled by the bright lights of Tokyo, there isn’t a whole lot to say for the hike; it is what it is, five to seven hours or walking uphill in the dark.

Alas, at 1:30 in the morning I made the difficult decision to forgo one of these two luxuries; the two friends I was with just weren’t maintaining a pace that would get the three of us to the summit by sunrise. With visions of photographic resplendence I said goodbye to them and didn’t see them until I had descended to the base of the mountain at 9am the next morning.

Now free to go at my own pace, I began tearing up the mountain at a pace I wasn’t entirely aware I was capable of. This may have cut significant time off of my climb had I started this pace lower on the mountain, but at higher altitudes with the trail narrowing, and with several thousand people climbing the mountain in peak season, bottlenecking was inevitable. There were moments when I would stand for 5-10 minutes at a time without taking a single step towards my goal. Antsy from my new found burst of energy and with my date with the sunrise, I began to politely work my way through the crowds (read: shove). Whenever there was breathing room I would charge ahead, weaving my way through climbers with the agility of a running back (going up hill, slipping on volcanic rock), until I would hit the next bottleneck.

The Payoff

After all the climbing and slipping and waiting, I reached the top with about a half hour to spare. After pushing my way through the throngs of people at the top, I walked a few hundred yards along the edge of the mountain’s massive crater and hunkered down in front of a photogenic Torii gate to wait for sunrise. However, the warm glow of accomplishment was short-lived; with the mountain no longer shielding me from the wind and the sun not yet up, my body temperature began to plummet. I sat there, more impatient than uncomfortable, hoping my uncontrollable shivering would coax the sun up a few minutes earlier. Soon enough, the hue of where sky met earth began to change from black to indigo. From indigo to pale blue. From pale blue to hazel to yellow to orange. Finally, as the sun crept into view, a brilliant red stretched across the horizon. Even more awe-inspiring was panorama below, now exposed by the rising sun. Hills, fields and lesser mountains, all from over 2 miles up; like looking down from an airplane, but without view-constricting windows or stale peanuts. I spent the next half hour or so taking pictures, warming up and generally feeling pretty good about myself. (Go me!)

After the sun was up and the day was on, I made my way around the monumental crater of Fuji. Stopping to occasionally take in the sheer scope of the mountain, and once on the far side of the mountain to snap a few pics of Fuji’s impressive shadow, the lap took me about an hour to complete. If weather permits and you’ve got the time/inclination, this really isn’t something you should skip. Hell, you’ve come this far right!?

The Descent

By the time I started down the mountain I had been awake for over 20 hours, 7 or which had been spent on my feet walking uphill. With no sleep, no motivation and no life left in my limbs, the descent wasn’t something I was exactly looking forward to. The volcanic rock was course and difficult to walk on, the angle was awkward for my knees and the walk down appeared to be as crowded as the climb up. On the bright side, with the sun now high in the sky, I was able to strip down to my shorts and a t-shirt (only 3 hours after the frigid pre-sunrise!). The descent was shaping up to be much slower and uncomfortable than I had expected it to be until I came to realization that was both brilliant and counter intuitive.

If you have the energy and the chutzpah, I actually recommend running down the mountain. That’s right, running! I can’t explain it, but my footing was surer, it was easier on my knees and the whole thing went a hell of a lot faster. That being said, rocks on the Kawaguchiko trail are uneven, so plan on slipping occasionally no matter what method you choose. If you do decide to run, be prepared to weave through the large crowds and to catch the occasional stink-eye from elderly locals, taking their time down the mountain. You might even try descending on the Subashiri or Gotemba routes. While not popular for going up, their fine ash paths are ideal for taking long, sliding strides (like a standing glissage) down the mountain. Running, I made it down the mountain in two hours. Expect it to take double that if you’re walking.

Advice:

Who can/should do the climb…

Although many people do the climb just to check it off their life list, I suspect there’s a certain breed of people who truly enjoy climbing Fuji. The type who dig large holes in the backyard as kids for no other reason other than the need to exert energy or those with inferiority problems who wish to look down from their Olympus on the plebeians below and laugh contemptuously. I’d like to think I fall into the former camp.

The lunatic fringe aside, anyone who’s in moderately good shape should be able to make the climb. If you think you’re cool with walking up a gradual incline for 6 hours, then I wouldn’t worry too much. Even better- If you can run a few miles or play sports for an hour or so, Fuji will be a cake walk. Those with knee problems should take heed of the descent; if you have problems running down hills or going down stairs this might be particularly uncomfortable.

What you’ll need…

• Layers and rain gear – Be prepared for a wide temperature range. I suspect the temperature at the top was between 30 and 40 degrees Fahrenheit while only 3 hours later, during the descent, it felt like 70 to 80 degrees to me. Bring plenty of layers (synthetic will keep you drier than cotton if it rains) that can be easily slipped on and off. And don’t forget your rain gear! You may not need it, but if ever there was an argument for ‘better safe than sorry’ this would be it.
• Food – Pack plenty of both food and water for the trip as both are overly expensive on the mountain. I recommend foods that are calorically dense (high calorie, low weight), have some protein and complex carbs to keep you fueled for extended periods of time and, of course, aren’t perishable. GORP or trail mix (dried fruit, nuts, your favorite cereal, maybe some M&Ms) and energy bars (mmm….SoyJoy) are always good bets. I also packed things like anpan, youkan, pretzels and those squeeze, energy jellies you can find at convenience stores.
• Water – I recommend at least a half gallon. I drink more water than most people and I went through a gallon and a half in the 24 hours. Water is heavy, but if you’re okay with lugging it around, the more you pack, the less you’ll have to buy. Don’t skimp on water either; dehydration can exacerbate the effects of altitude sickness.
• Headlamp – You will be climbing in the dark and they don’t light the way, so bring a headlamp. You could probably get by with a flashlight, but I recommend having your hands free, especially when the footing gets a little unsure.
• Money – If you’ve packed adequate food and water and you’re not a sucker for souvenirs, you won’t need a whole lot of money for Fuji. However, they will try to nickel and dime you as much as they can. Food is overpriced, but then again, after climbing for 6 hours in the dark cold, that 800 円 Cup Noodle sounds like a steal. Water gets progressively more expensive as you go up, starting at about 250 and reaching 500 at the summit. Finally, unless you’ve packed a portable catheter, you’re going to have to pay to use the bathroom. Again, prices go up as you do, so expect to pay 200-300 yen at the top. While most of the bathrooms work on the honor system, the ones at the top have attendants who take your money before you do your business. The scariest moment I had during the trek happened right before leaving the summit when I stopped to go to the bathroom and realized all I had was a 10,000 yen bill ($100). I was sure the restroom attendant would turn me away, not having adequate change, making an already uncomfortable descent more so. But the man smiled and said it wasn’t a problem and gave me my change without a second thought (God bless this country!).

What you won’t need…

• Skip the O2 – Unless you’re especially young, especially old, or have breathing problems, I highly discourage you from using bottled oxygen. It’s overpriced, unnecessary (for 99% of the hikers), and has the potential to do more harm than good. If you were to use oxygen during the entire ascent only to run out at the top, you won’t have given your body enough time to acclimatize to a low oxygen environment and stand a greater risk of altitude sickness. Do yourself a favor and take plenty of breaks and drink lots of water.
• Fancy hiking or climbing equipment – A good pair of sturdy shoes or boots that you don’t mind getting dirty and maybe a set of trekking poles, though given the crowds I think they’d be more of a burden. As for the wooden ones they sell at the base to be branded a the various stations along the trail, I would forgo these as well. If you’re like me, the idea of spending a few hundred yen at each station (with a dozen or more stations) and lugging the thing back on the airplane, doesn’t sound particularly appealing or practical.

When to go…

Unless your schedule prevents you from doing otherwise, I highly recommend climbing during the summer (late July through August). I know people who have gone early in the season (June) and late (September) and both had to deal with rain, frigid cold and a few didn’t get the chance to see the sunrise. Of course climbing in August does mean you will be climbing during peak season, dealing with the crowds, the lines and the waiting. But when considering the likelihood for better weather and the alternative’s potential for misery, I have few qualms about waiting in line in exchange for general pleasantness.

To stay on the mountain or not…

When climbing Fuji, you have two basic options: to do the whole hike in one push or to sleep in one of the huts on the mountain, get up before dawn and finish the climb. I know people who swear by sleeping on the mountain, but the way I see it, because they pack you into those cold, loud bedrooms like sardines, you’re going to be exhausted and sleep deprived no matter what you do, so you might as well save yourself 6000-7000 円 and just do it all in one go.

Final thoughts…

It’s worth mentioning that I climbed Mount Fuji during a particularly meaningful and pivotal point in my life. I had just spent the past two years living and teaching in Northern Japan and the weeks leading up to Fuji were filled with intense packing, teary goodbyes, a handful of stunningly beautiful festivals. Those last few weeks represented what I love most about Japan- the people, the culture, the landscape and my time on Mount Fuji, quite literally, topped off these experiences. There hasn’t been a day since I’ve been home that I haven’t missed Japan, scheming of ways to get back, and with that in mind, I suspect climbing Fuji may not carry the same metaphorical weight for you as it did for me.

There’s a saying (bordering on cliche) in Japan that a wise man will make sure to climb Mt. Fuji once in their lifetime, but only a fool would climb it twice. That being said, armed with the wisdom of experience and feeling the existential fulfillment as you watch the sun rise from Japan’s highest point you understand why the foolhardy might be inclined to do the whole thing again.

There is a saying about climbing Mount Fuji that goes something along the lines of, and I am paraphrasing here,

You would be a fool for not climbing Fujisan once in your life, but only the dumbest of all idiots climbs Mount Fuji a second time.

Well I didn’t wanna be a fool, so in August 2008 I “climbed” this mountain of all Japan’s icons and I have a new phrase.

I cannot think of one reason good enough to climb Mount Fuji and the person who thought up the other phrase probably had some financial incentive to start that rumor.

You might be thinking that I had a bad experience on the mountain, for example, had bad weather, or got sick but it was neither of these things that led me to my new saying about Mount Fuji. So what is the deal?

Let me start by addressing the two most popular ways to go up Fujisan. Total, the climb up will probably take between 5 and 8 hours, just depending on what kind of shape you are in. To be honest, it is a fairly easy and safe climb as in anyone can do it (I saw kids as young as about 10 to adults who looked to be about 60); however, don’t get me wrong, it is not in anyway way an enjoyable experience. Back to the two ways to climb, both start with taking a bus or somehow getting to the 5th stage then starting the climb from there. Some choose to go during the day, climb as high as you can, get “sleep” at one of the huts until about 3am, and climb the rest of the way to see the sunrise from the top. The other way is to arrive at the 5th stage late, like 9 or 10pm and just climb through the night, without staying, and arrive at the top in time for sunrise. Basically, both options are miserable and you will be exhausted either way.

Next the nature issue. Yes Mount Fuji is a beautiful mountain… from far away! Once you get up to about the 6th stage there is nothing beautiful about it. Just rocks, gravel, dirt, close to price gouging concession stands (yes you read that right and yes I know the supplies have to be carried up the mountain) and mountain huts. I will admit that there is a nice view of the surrounding area, the stars at night (and even the Milky Way on a clear night) and the sunrise is beautiful, but you can get just as good of view from the 5th Stage (you can take a bus there from Kawaguchiko Station or Shinjuku Station), and the sunrise isn’t much more (maybe not at all even) beautiful from the top than it is from a lot of other places. Furthermore, it depends SO much on the weather. There is a good chance because of cloud coverage you will not be able to see anything!

But wait, beauty is in the eye of the beholder right? Maybe I just didn’t appreciate what I saw and maybe you will. Even if I am right, at least you can be at one with nature and just relax right? Not exactly… Besides the fact that you will be “climbing” with thousands of strangers (it isn’t really climbing, but instead, more like walking up a very long outdoor staircase while sometimes waiting in line) so you will not be able to enjoy the “nature” or pitch a tent, camp out and just relax.

Ahh! But there are some hotels/mountain huts! This is true, there are lots of places to rest (average price is about $30 per person for 3 hours) or stay (average price $60 per person) but good luck getting any real rest. They all have the same set up. Basically there will be one big room with futons/sleeping bags placed next together so there is no privacy. Also since there is only one room, and other climbers will be arriving at different times and making plenty of noise as they find their place to lay down. Not to mention these huts are all right next to the path to go up the mountain so there is noise from those climbing through the night. I am not even going to describe the toilet situation, I am sure you can imagine (although I will say I did find some western style toilets).

What about a sense of accomplishment? Really? Are you serious? I got more of a sense of accomplishment from climbing a 20 foot wall at my fitness club when I was 14 years old than climbing the great Mount Fuji. I just told you that I saw kids that were 10 years old doing it! Seriously, just about anyone that is in decent physical shape can do it. The only thing to feel good about after getting to the top is that you are able to climb down.

Oh and about coming down, that is no picnic either. Mainly because you will be exhausted, hungry, dirty, and in some cases wet and grumpy. Not to mention the soil/rocks feel about as stable, as well, lots of small, loose rocks/pebbles on a steep mountain. Good luck not falling at least once. Actually, if you can get the courage to go down quickly, I felt more stable going down swiftly with big steps rather than taking small slow steps. Still be careful. Total, coming down will probably take between 4-5 hours.

So what is my best advice? Don’t climb Mount Fuji at all but instead spend some time close to Mount Fuji in either the spring or fall. The Fuji Five Lakes provide a much more spectacular view of the mountain than the mountain provides of the lakes and surrounding area. If you insist on going up, I suggest without doing any “climbing” at all taking a bus to the 5th stage where you can get good photos with a great view. The top photo was taken close to the top of Mount Fuji and the second one was taken from the 5th stage. It depends more on the weather rather than actually where you are on the mountain.

Seriously, Mount Fuji is much more beautiful from afar, even without the lakes.

Along with cherry blossom season, fall is a great time to visit Japan. In any country, fall leaves are beautiful and make for great photos and this holds especially true with Japan. Japan’s most famous fall leaf is the Japanese Maple Tree which turns brilliant red in the fall. These red leaves are referred to as “kouyou” (紅葉) in Japanese.

Read more about fall in Japan and check out some of my favorite places to see the autumn foliage after the jump.

The photo on the left was taken at The Itchiku Kubota Kimono Museum and the one on the right on the grounds of the Golden Pavilion.

There are many sites in Japanese that give more detailed information, I cannot read Japanese very well, but even so, there are some sites that are very helpful. For example rurubu.com has a map of Japan and a small color picture of a maple leaf to represent the current status of the leaves in the area. Another site worth checking out is Yahoo Japan’s site that looks like it encourages user submissions. If you want to find a different site, simply go do a google search for “紅葉” followed by the year (紅葉 2008) and you will get more sites in Japanese. The photo below was taken at Kinkakuji in Kyoto.

The bulleted list below are places I have been to and personally recommend for the fall season.

• Arashiyama(Kansai)
• Fuji Five Lakes
• Towadako (Lake Towada, Tohoku)
• Oirase Strean (Tohoku)
• Kyoto
• Nanzenji (Kyoto)
• Naruko (Tohoku)
• Nikko (Kansai)
• Tokyo

Read more about fall in Japan and check out some of my favorite places to see the autumn foliage after the jump.

Along with cherry blossom season, fall is a great time to visit Japan. In any country, fall leaves are beautiful and make for great photos and this holds especially true with Japan. Japan’s most famous fall leaf is the Japanese Maple Tree which turns brillant red in the fall. These red leaves are reffered to as “koyo” or “kouyou” (紅葉) in Japanese. The photo on the left was taken at The Itchiku Kubota Kimono Museum and the one on the right on the grounds of the Golden Pavilion.

There are many sites in Japanese that give more detailed information, I cannot read Japanese very well, but even so, there are some sites that are very helpful. For example rurubu.com has a map of Japan and a small color picture of a maple leaf to represent the current status of the leaves in the area. If you want to find a different site, simply go do a google search for “紅葉” followed by the year (紅葉 2006) and you will get more sites in Japanese. The photo below was taken at Kinkakuji in Kyoto.

The bulleted list below are places I have been to and personally recommend for the fall season.

• • Arashiyama
  • Fuji Five Lakes
  • Kyoto
  • Naruko (Tohoku)
  • Nikko
  • Tokyo

[google]3199910791605380248[/google]

When you arrive ask if they have an English guide, because sometimes they do. Also, there is an English video that is fairly interesting and very informative about Itchiku Kubota and his original technique.

Like most places in Japan, the best time to come here is in the Fall or cherry blossom season; however, if you are in the Mount Fuji area, don’t miss out on this relatively small but wonderful museum.

Here is the address and contact information and below links to his books:

Lake Kawaguchi, Yamanashi, Japan
2255 Kawaguchi, Kawaguchiko-machi
Minamitsuru-gun, Yamanashi
tel. 0555-76-8811, fax. 0555-76-8812

If you want to climb Mount Fuji, it is not a bad idea to stay here the day before as Fuji Five Lakes (Fujigoko) is a good place to start the climb. Also camping, hiking and fishing are other popular outdoor activities here. If you can, fall or cherry blossom season is the best time to visit the five lakes, but if you want to climb Mount fuji, the climbing season is from June-August.

For more information, please see the Japan-Guide.com.

One of my favorite places in Hakone is the Open Air Museum, where the above photo was taken. This outdoor museum displays lots of modern, abstract and interesting artwork in the surrounding grounds with mountains, vallies and the ocean as the backdrops. I highly reccomend checking this place out if you make it to Hakone.
For more information please see the Japan-Guide.com.

Roppongi Hills is a must see if you are visiting Tokyo. I recommend going in the afternoon, walking around the outside and then going up to the tower to see the view of Tokyo (and beyond) just before sunset. On a clear day you can even see Mt. Fuji (see the photo below). Also the art museum is on the top floors of the tower. On another side note, the movie theater has a great discount for foreigners and tickets are only 1000 yen which is almost half price for movie tickets in Japan.

Below on the left is a huge sculpture of a spider. This spider is a popular place to meet and wait for people at Roppongi Hills. On the right, one day I went to Roppongi Hills and I just happened to be there at the same time as a festival parade was passing by Roppongi Hills. The shrine they are carrying is called Mitsukoshi. This style of carrying a shrine in a parade like fashion is a very common for festivals throughout Japan.

For more information see the official site of Roppongi Hills.

On a clear day (which isn’t often) you can see Fuji-san from some places in Tokyo, like Roppongi Hills Tower, or Yokohama. Also while taking the shinkansen from Tokyo to Osaka, after about 30 minutes from leaving Tokyo you will get a nice view of Japan’s most sacred mountain.If you want to get a little closer I recommend stopping by Hakone or the Fuji Five Lakes (Fujigoko). Climbing season is during the summer months of July and August. If you want to avoid the crowds you should go on a weekday around the middle of July, when Japanese schools are still in session and before the summer holidays. The photo below was taken from the 5th stage of Mt. Fuji looking away from the summit.

Interested in climbing Mount Fuji? That is one of the things I have on my list of things to do before leaving Japan. To be honest, I know close to nothing about this (other than the peak season is July and August. If you want to climb Mt. Fuji, Japan-Guide.com has a climbing guide to Mt. Fuji, which seems like a good place to start.