The climbing season officially opened on Mount Fuji on July 1, and experts are already warning visitors, particularly first-timers, to exercise caution.
The most-popular Yoshida Trail on the Yamanashi Prefecture side and the Subashiri Trail on the Shizuoka Prefecture side are now open to climbers.
The Fujinomiya and Gotenba trails on the Shizuoka side are scheduled to open on July 10.
The three Shizuoka side routes have typically opened on July 10.
But the Subashiri Trail’s opening was moved up this year because it merges with the Yoshida Trail at the eighth station, and some climbers have mistakenly wandered onto it.
About 60 percent of all climbers use the Yoshida Trail, which has the smallest elevation gain from its starting point and offers direct bus access from Tokyo’s Shinjuku district.
Around 30 percent of climbers use the Fujinomiya Trail, while the Gotemba and Subashiri trails are preferred by experienced climbers.
Experts continue to warn visitors that climbing Mount Fuji always carries safety risks.
Masanobu Sakagami, an instructor with more than 30 years of experience on the Shizuoka prefectural police mountain rescue team, pointed out the importance of knowing when to turn back.
“Everyone wants to climb Japan’s highest mountain at least once and see the sunrise from the summit—it’s only natural,” he said. “However, if you exhaust your energy before reaching the top or rush because you’re worried about catching the last bus, it can lead to accidents.”
Sakagami said climbers must understand that they are entering the highest place in Japan.
“If you feel any concern about your physical condition, the weather or your equipment—even just one of these—I want you to have the courage to turn back,” he said.
HEALTH PROBLEMS
By route, 55.1 percent of climbing accidents on Mount Fuji occur on the Yoshida Trail, 24.0 percent on the Fujinomiya Trail, 12.9 percent on the Gotenba Trail, and 8.0 percent on the Subashiri Trail.
Those ratios roughly match the distribution of climbers.
Falls, injuries and health problems, including altitude sickness, were reported on all trails.
However, the Yoshida Trail saw more cases of hypothermia, while climbers unable to move due to exhaustion featured more heavily on the Fujinomiya Trail.
Cases involving climbers getting lost and calling for help were frequent on the Gotenba and Subashiri trails, where there are forks in the pathways on the descent.
DANGER ABOVE 3,000 METERS
Around 200,000 people climb the 3,776-meter mountain each year.
According to a 2025 survey conducted by Yamanashi Prefecture, 68.6 percent of Mount Fuji climbers that year were visiting the peak for the first time, and 22.0 percent had no prior experience with mountain climbing.
A total of 363 climbers became stranded or were involved in accidents on Mount Fuji over three years to 2025, according to data from the Yamanashi and Shizuoka prefectural governments.
Twenty-one of the climbers died over that period.
According to a study of the data by The Asahi Shimbun, all of the deceased were men with an average age of 53.9.
Those in their 50s accounted for 35 percent of the deaths, followed by men in their 60s at 20 percent, and those in their 40s and 70s or older at 15 percent each.
The records also showed that higher the altitude, the greater the number of accidents.
Fifteen, or 71 percent, of the 21 fatalities occurred above 3,000 meters.
Many of the men lost consciousness.
One death report said, “A 59-year-old man collapsed suddenly near the ninth station while descending and became unconscious.”
Another said, “A 77-year-old man was found collapsed on the trail.”
Some deaths occurred in a combination of adverse conditions.
“A 49-year-old climber lost consciousness suddenly while heading to a mountain hut with a friend. At the time, heavy sideways rain was falling,” a report said.
CHILLY SUMMIT
The Mount Fuji climbing season typically runs from early July to Sept. 10. During this period, mountain huts are open.
Nine of the 21 fatalities occurred outside the official climbing season.
Some slipped and fell on snow-covered paths, while others were found dead inside the summit crater.
Mount Fuji is a relatively difficult mountain to climb, with an elevation gain of more than 1,300 meters from the trailhead to the summit.
Near the summit, temperatures can drop close to freezing even in summer. And as an isolated peak, it is prone to strong winds.
(This article was written by Masanobu Higashiyama, senior staff writer, and Motoki Kaneko.)
AloJapan.com