It is the official season for climbing Mount Fuji, 1st July - 31 August. The weather is perfect and the view is clear. It is during this season that experience and inexperience mountain climbers throng the Fuji. It is recommended that the inexperience climbers climb Mt. Fuji during this season as visibility is good and the weather less harsh.

There are five routes you can start out with to climb Mt. Fuji:

Kawaguchiko 5th Station (Yamanashi Prefecture)

Altitude: about 2300 meters
Ascent: 5-7 hours
Descent: 3-5 hours

This is the most popular base for the climb to the summit, and the most easily accessible 5th Station from the Fuji Five Lake region and central Tokyo. The road to this 5th Station, the Fuji Subaru Line, is a toll road (2300 Yen), which gets closed to private vehicles during the peak of the summer holidays (August 9 to 19 and 23 to 24, 2008).

The Yoshidaguchi Trail leads from the Kawaguchiko 5th Station to the summit. Lots of mountain huts line the trail around the 7th and 8th stations, and there are separate trails for the ascent and descent. The sunrise takes place on this side of the mountain.

Subashiri 5th Station (Shizuoka Prefecture)

Altitude: about 2000 meters
Ascent: 5-8 hours
Descent: 3-5 hours

This 5th Station is located only at 2000 meters above sea level and is the base of the Subashiri Trail. The Subashiri Trail meets the Yoshidaguchi Trail around the 8th station.

Gotemba 5th Station (Shizuoka Prefecture)

Altitude: about 1400 meters
Ascent: 7-10 hours
Descent: 3-6 hours

This is by far the lowest 5th Station, and the ascent to the summit is accordingly much longer than from the other 5th stations. The Gotemba Trail leads from the Gotemba 5th Station to the summit. There are about four huts around the 7th and 8th station.

Fujinomiya 5th Station (Shizuoka Prefecture)

Altitude: about 2400 meters
Ascent: 4-7 hours
Descent: 2-4 hours

The closest 5th Station to the summit, the Fujinomiya 5th Station is the base for the southern approach via the Fujinomiya Trail. It is easily accessible from the railway stations on the Tokaido Shinkansen Line between Tokyo and Osaka. There are about half a dozen mountain huts along this trail.

The road to the Fujinomiya 5th Station is toll free and gets closed to private vehicles during the peak of the climbing season (July 15-17 and August 5-14, 2006).

This website is a good place to start if you want to contact an operator for your Mt Fuji expedition: Viator. It sets out from Tokyo, which is convenient for all.

For more resources, click here.

Geezus…this will cure my fear of height forever. Check out activities at Mount Fuji here.

Micro flying, i’ve always wanted to try you. I saw you on TV and the sense of euphoria you leave people after they’re done with you. I bet trying you out around Mount Fuji, one of the most beautiful places in the world, would be excellent.

There is a picturesque resort at the foot of the infamous Mount Fuji. The Fuji Five Lakes (富士五湖, Fuji goko) are located in an arc around the northern half of Mount Fuji in Yamanashi Prefecture, Japan. They are:

* Lake Kawaguchi (Fujikawaguchiko, Yamanashi)
* Lake Motosu (Kamikuishiki, Yamanashi)
* West Lake (Saiko, Yamanashi)
* Lake Shoji (Kamikuishiki, Yamanashi)
* Lake Yamanaka (Yamanakako, Yamanashi)

All five feature beautiful views of the mountain, especially in the spring and autumn, when the snow partially covers the peak. These lakes are in the countryside, and many resorts offer camping, boating, fishing, and similar rustic recreation. The comforts of civilization are also available.

Apart from the obvious activity, that is climbing mount Fuji, hiking, camping and fishing, you can also visit Sengen Shrine; an important shrine in the area dedicated to Princess Konohanasakuya, the Shinto deity of Mount Fuji.

This place is one of the most picturesque spots in Japan, it is definitely worth the visit. The resort provides several accommodation options for visitors to visit - camping is of course not the only form of accommodation at the Fuji Five Lakes.

Source: Japan Guide; Wikipedia

Mount Fuji (富士山, Fuji-san) is the tallest mountain in Japan. It straddles the boundary of Shizuoka and Yamanashi prefectures just west of Tokyo, from where it can be seen on a clear day. It is located near the Pacific coast of central Honshū. Three small cities surround it, they are: Gotemba (East), Fuji-Yoshida (North) and Fujinomiya (Southwest). Mount Fuji maintains a snow cap year round even though it is in a temperate climate zone.

Mount Fuji is a well-known symbol of Japan and is frequently depicted in art and photographs, as well as visited by sightseers and climbers. Mount Fuji is a dormant volcano, which most recently erupted in 1708.

If you want to enjoy Mount Fuji at a more leisurely pace and from a nice natural surrounding, you should head to the Fuji Five Lake (Fujigoko) region at the northern foot of the mountain, or to Hakone, a nearby hot spring resort.

Mount Fuji is officially open for climbing during July and August via several routes.

source: wikipedia