When exactly is Mt. Fuji's climbing season?

The official season runs roughly from early July to early September each year, with exact dates set annually by Yamanashi and Shizuoka prefectures. The Yoshida trail on the Yamanashi side typically opens around July 1, while the Shizuoka-side trails (Subashiri, Gotemba, Fujinomiya) usually open about ten days later. All four trails close around September 10. Outside this window the mountain huts shut, the toilets are closed, the buses to the 5th station stop running, and trails are officially off-limits.

Why is Mt. Fuji closed outside summer?

Above 3,000 meters Mt. Fuji is exposed to high winds, sudden snowstorms, and freezing temperatures for most of the year. The summit can hold snow into June and again from October. Volcanic gravel slopes that are merely tiring in summer become avalanche-prone in winter. With the huts closed and weather unpredictable, rescue access is also harder. Multiple climber deaths every year — almost all involving people who attempted the climb out of season — led the prefectures to formalize the seasonal closure and post warnings. Off-season climbing requires a notification and full alpine equipment.

How many people climb Mt. Fuji each year?

Roughly 200,000 to 300,000 climbers reach the trail network during the two-month official season in a typical year, according to counts published by Yamanashi and Shizuoka prefectures. Numbers fluctuate with weather and post-pandemic tourism patterns. Yamanashi introduced a 2,000-yen climbing fee and a daily climber cap on the Yoshida trail in 2024 to manage overcrowding and altitude-sickness incidents. Most climbers attempt the route overnight to reach the summit for sunrise (called goraikō).

Today I Learned

Japan, apparently, only opens Mt. Fuji to climbers for about two months a year

Mt. Fuji's official climbing season runs roughly early July to early September. Outside this window the trails are closed, huts shut, and the mountain genuinely dangerous.

Published 2026-05-01 · 2 min read · By Daichi

◇ Hikers in colorful jackets climbing a steep volcanic gravel slope on Mt. Fuji at dawn, with clouds spread out below the trail and the summit cone visible in the distance

A 3,776-meter mountain with a calendar

Look at Mt. Fuji on a postcard and it is timeless — a snow-capped cone, a single famous shape. Look at it on the official Yamanashi Prefecture website and it is a calendar entry. The trail opens around July 1. It closes around September 10. For roughly ten months of the year the most photographed mountain in the world is officially shut.

The huts are locked. The bus to the 5th station does not run. The summit toilets are sealed. The trails carry warning signs. And every winter, hikers who ignore the closure die on the slope.

The fact

Mt. Fuji’s official climbing season runs about two months, from early July to early September each year. The exact dates are announced annually by Yamanashi and Shizuoka prefectures, the two prefectures the mountain straddles:

Yoshida trail (Yamanashi side) — typically opens around July 1 and closes around September 10. The most popular route, accessed from the 5th station via Fuji-Subaru Line.
Subashiri, Gotemba, and Fujinomiya trails (Shizuoka side) — typically open about ten days later (around July 10) and close around the same date in September.

During the open window the mountain receives roughly 200,000 to 300,000 climbers, depending on the year. In 2024 Yamanashi introduced a 2,000-yen climbing fee and a daily cap on the Yoshida trail to manage overcrowding.

Outside the open season, all huts are closed, water and toilet facilities are shut down, and the prefectures explicitly discourage climbing. Off-season ascents require a formal notification and full winter mountaineering equipment.

Why it works this way

The closure is not bureaucratic theater. It tracks the mountain’s actual conditions:

Snow and ice on the upper cone persist into late June and reappear from October. The summit is at 3,776 meters with no tree cover and almost no shelter, exposed to wind, freezing temperatures, and sudden whiteouts most of the year.
Volcanic gravel slopes that are merely tiring in summer become avalanche-prone and unstable in winter. Falls on Fuji’s upper cone slide a long way before stopping.
No mid-mountain refuge in the off-season. During the open window, dozens of mountain huts along the trails offer rest, food, oxygen, and emergency shelter. Outside it, climbers are entirely on their own — and rescue access is significantly harder.
Altitude sickness is the under-discussed risk. Even during peak season, hospital admissions for altitude sickness are common because climbers from Tokyo (sea level) attempt the summit overnight in roughly 12 hours. The seasonal infrastructure — huts, oxygen, staffed first-aid — exists partly to manage this. Without it the medical risk profile changes substantially.

Where to experience it

Yoshida trail (Yamanashi side, Fuji-Subaru Line 5th station) — the most popular route, with the most huts, the easiest bus access from Tokyo (about 2.5 hours from Shinjuku), and the formal climbing fee since 2024.
Fujinomiya trail (Shizuoka side) — the shortest route to the summit but the steepest. Less crowded.
Subashiri and Gotemba trails (Shizuoka side) — quieter and more forested, longer total distance.
Goraikō (sunrise from the summit) — the canonical experience: climb overnight, reach the summit before 5am, watch sunrise, descend. Most huts on the Yoshida trail offer 4–5 hours of dorm sleep partway up.
Off-season viewing — from a distance is fine and stunning. Climbing is not. The Kawaguchiko and Hakone areas have many year-round viewpoints with no need to set foot on the trail.

Closing

Most countries treat their iconic mountains as open all year and let conditions sort the climbers. Japan posts a calendar at the trailhead and locks the door for ten months. Apparently when 300,000 people want to summit the same volcano, you stop pretending the weather is a personal choice.