Did it twice, John. Wanted to go back this year but now I'm feeling a bit dismayed with all of the over-tourism measures in place. Loved it. Never found such peace as on Fujisan. It was tough. Arduous. Worst part was coming down in complete exhaustion. But I would do it again in a heartbeat. In 2015 I met a man on the way up who was 83 years of age. in 2018 I met a woman in her late 60s who'd just done her 9th climb. It's doable, and very memorable. I cherish my two walking sticks, with burn stamps in them. To me, they're priceless. Happy trails! 😉
I climbed it a few of times in the early 2000's, Gotemba & Yoshida trails. I treated climbing it as just a box to check, since climbing other mountains were much more enjoyable for all the reasons John states above. I recommend taking your own collapsible hiking poles over the tourist 'fence post' poles they sell. They're lighter, more manageable & your knees will thank you on the way down. Telescopic Hiking poles are now permitted with carry-on on many aircraft, whilst many airlines will often charge extra for any checked 'oversize' (long wooden pole) items.
My wife and I bought those poles as well when we climbed up back on 2017. We got them branded on the station we passed. My condition was not good at that time, I ended up slowing everybody down. It was embarrassing. At the Tomoekan 8th station where we stayed overnight was my last point, along with some others. And it's true about altitude sickness. Somebody was puking their guts out all night. We didn't peak. It also rained early that morning, and people who were on their way to the peak had to go back down because of safety reasons. But the sunrise from that station was breathtaking already. Going back down was painful as well. I almost missed the bus 😅 How did we get those poles back to our home country? I went to a martial arts shop and bought a bag that's usually used for a bo/yari/naginata. As I do use these bags to carry jo/ken, though oversized, it's a worth while purchase.
Always Beautiful if it shows. i could never hike it but it would be fun to ride the bus up maybe get a meal. then ride down. thanks for there share! stay awesome!
Hi John. Great topic! I’m getting ready for Fuji san this summer. I’m just waiting for the mountain reservation to be available. I will take your advice and wait until August. I will make it a fun event. ✌🏼
I had to settle for "climbing" Mt. Fuji virtually due to health issues. I did it through The Conqueror. The route is 47 miles long and encompasses all 5 lakes. With my health issues it took me 6 months and I did most of it on my ski machine in my livingroom. I wish I could get me one of those stamped sticks because I feel like my virtual climb still counts! I shed a lot of tears, but I never gave up! ❤
i'm sure people do sell the stamped walking sticks online. i bought the mini stick when i went did yoshida trail in 2019. i didnt buy the full stick because of airlines might take it away. i'll be bringing it along for this year climb on Gotemba trail.
Coming into Japan from the USA, if the weather is nice and you sit on the right side of the plane, you can see Mt Fuji! I'll settle for that 😅😊❤ It's just too much for me to climb that mountain physically due to health issues (my heart).
In 2015, I climbed Fujisan in one night without accommodation. It was no problem, especially as you have a lot of time if you start walking at 8pm. It wasn't a really difficult climb either. I would do it again at any time. Why should you pay 100$ for 2h sleep?
For me, they should've done this many years ago..... I made it to the summit way back in 2017 (day climb 8am from fifth station --- summit at around 1pm) and back then there was already a lot of people even during a weekday and yes most of them are not properly equipped (some even just wear sneakers).....there were kids and I still remember this old man (probably Japanese in his 60s) who was stuck just a few hundred meters from the summit...he was vomiting while I passed by him...I don't know what happened to him...
Shizuoka definitely will duplicate the system on the Subashiri trail because the trail merges with Yoshida trail at the top. as for the other trail, i expect Fujinomiya will be a 50/50 chance they will adopt the same system. it is a steeper trail so maybe they will monitor the crowd this year and decide to implement it or not next year. Yoshida trail and Subashiri trail hikers will definitely divert to the other 2 trails. this might increase the number of injuries from Fujinomiya's trail. for the hiking stick, they do sell a small stick that fits in a 24" luggage. you can get the burned stamps that way. i dont know if its for kids or was it for people who want to keep in their luggage. personally, i will be going up Gotemba trail. the most difficult hike due to the distance and ground being more gravel-sand. visiting Hoeizan before continuing to the summit and descending Subashiri. after this, i will be done with Mount Fuji. i might plan to do other easily accessible japan mountains if my knees dont degrade in the next 10 years.
Thanks John this was a interesting to see the rules too follow when in Mount Fuji and also the website but I can’t read some of it because it’s Japanese
I’ll most likely be skipping most of Kyoto as the overtourism there is too much. Plus I was lucky enough to see Kiyomizu-sera and the Fushimi Inari Taisha in October 2022 as the country reopened. Can’t wait to see the Nintendo Museum that’s supposed to open later this year and is 20-25 mins south of Kyoto station. As for Mr Fuji it’s still on my bucket list LOL.
I think travel influencers should promote other areas of Japan, not just the same spot for the same content that hundreds others have done. In turn, Municipalities that are traditionally not a foreign tourist hotspot will need to start making some infrastructures to draw in more foreign tourists. Tokyo, Osaka, Kyoto, and the area surrounding them are just too congested with tourists already. Need to spread these out.
Yes, it’s a big pain to reserve them. I don’t want to go through brokers and agencies to book cabins, another reason that maybe this isn’t worth it anymore.
@@onlyinjapanGO broker and agencies definitely are booking the huts in advance, the huts know the agencies will pay in advance that guarantees their operation cost.
Mt. Fuji is the definition of a tourist trap. As an avid hiker I wouldn't recommend climbing it at all. I've never had an interest in hiking it because you can see it's completely the opposite of why you hike in the first place, which is being immersed in nature away from the crowds. There are many many trails all over the world that are worth taking a vacation just to hike. It also has the potential to ruin your vacation. If you're not hiking steep trails on a regular basis, your lower legs are going to get destroyed and you'll be hobbling around for the next 3 days on your vacation.
Can't believe with the poorly dressed tourists. I saw that one cringy video of a self proclaimed filmmaker hiking the Grand Teton poorly prepared. Wearing worn out tennis shoes, black t shirt, jeans, and using tree twigs instead of poles. Because this is where Rocky IV was filmed double as Russia.
If they want to curve the bullet climbing, then they’re gonna have to put more accommodations on the mountain. There’s already not enough rooms to sleep for everybody or at least some tent areas. And you really should spend the night on the mountain just to the altitude so you’re not going up so fast for sunrise. But that’s just my opinion.
1) it starts May 20th. 2) 1000 people a day can just show up, first come first serve. 3) by no one, you mean everyone after the 4000 a day? 4) there may be “resellers” which will become a sour issue. I wonder if the registration locks in a name. Let’s hope it does.
Official Mount Fuji website: www.fujisan-climb.jp/en/
Did it twice, John. Wanted to go back this year but now I'm feeling a bit dismayed with all of the over-tourism measures in place. Loved it. Never found such peace as on Fujisan. It was tough. Arduous. Worst part was coming down in complete exhaustion. But I would do it again in a heartbeat. In 2015 I met a man on the way up who was 83 years of age. in 2018 I met a woman in her late 60s who'd just done her 9th climb. It's doable, and very memorable. I cherish my two walking sticks, with burn stamps in them. To me, they're priceless. Happy trails! 😉
John I’m older person (70 yrs👀) but I love, love your channel and learning about Japan. Thank you for sharing with us.🙏
I climbed it a few of times in the early 2000's, Gotemba & Yoshida trails. I treated climbing it as just a box to check, since climbing other mountains were much more enjoyable for all the reasons John states above.
I recommend taking your own collapsible hiking poles over the tourist 'fence post' poles they sell. They're lighter, more manageable & your knees will thank you on the way down. Telescopic Hiking poles are now permitted with carry-on on many aircraft, whilst many airlines will often charge extra for any checked 'oversize' (long wooden pole) items.
My wife and I bought those poles as well when we climbed up back on 2017. We got them branded on the station we passed.
My condition was not good at that time, I ended up slowing everybody down. It was embarrassing. At the Tomoekan 8th station where we stayed overnight was my last point, along with some others. And it's true about altitude sickness. Somebody was puking their guts out all night.
We didn't peak. It also rained early that morning, and people who were on their way to the peak had to go back down because of safety reasons. But the sunrise from that station was breathtaking already.
Going back down was painful as well. I almost missed the bus 😅
How did we get those poles back to our home country? I went to a martial arts shop and bought a bag that's usually used for a bo/yari/naginata. As I do use these bags to carry jo/ken, though oversized, it's a worth while purchase.
Always Beautiful if it shows. i could never hike it but it would be fun to ride the bus up maybe get a meal. then ride down. thanks for there share! stay awesome!
Hi John. Great topic! I’m getting ready for Fuji san this summer. I’m just waiting for the mountain reservation to be available. I will take your advice and wait until August. I will make it a fun event. ✌🏼
I had to settle for "climbing" Mt. Fuji virtually due to health issues. I did it through The Conqueror. The route is 47 miles long and encompasses all 5 lakes. With my health issues it took me 6 months and I did most of it on my ski machine in my livingroom. I wish I could get me one of those stamped sticks because I feel like my virtual climb still counts! I shed a lot of tears, but I never gave up! ❤
i'm sure people do sell the stamped walking sticks online.
i bought the mini stick when i went did yoshida trail in 2019.
i didnt buy the full stick because of airlines might take it away.
i'll be bringing it along for this year climb on Gotemba trail.
@eisenklad yeah, I saw a couple on ebay, but I was broke at the time. Lol
Thanks for sharing it. ✌️
Coming into Japan from the USA, if the weather is nice and you sit on the right side of the plane, you can see Mt Fuji! I'll settle for that 😅😊❤ It's just too much for me to climb that mountain physically due to health issues (my heart).
Informative stream even though i'm not a climber ,these are still good advices to hear and learn🙂👍Thank you John🙂👍!!!
I learned a lot too, thanks Jari!
@@onlyinjapanGO Cool and you’re welcome John🙂👍
In 2015, I climbed Fujisan in one night without accommodation. It was no problem, especially as you have a lot of time if you start walking at 8pm. It wasn't a really difficult climb either. I would do it again at any time. Why should you pay 100$ for 2h sleep?
For me, they should've done this many years ago..... I made it to the summit way back in 2017 (day climb 8am from fifth station --- summit at around 1pm) and back then there was already a lot of people even during a weekday and yes most of them are not properly equipped (some even just wear sneakers).....there were kids and I still remember this old man (probably Japanese in his 60s) who was stuck just a few hundred meters from the summit...he was vomiting while I passed by him...I don't know what happened to him...
Shizuoka definitely will duplicate the system on the Subashiri trail because the trail merges with Yoshida trail at the top.
as for the other trail, i expect Fujinomiya will be a 50/50 chance they will adopt the same system. it is a steeper trail so maybe they will monitor the crowd this year and decide to implement it or not next year.
Yoshida trail and Subashiri trail hikers will definitely divert to the other 2 trails. this might increase the number of injuries from Fujinomiya's trail.
for the hiking stick, they do sell a small stick that fits in a 24" luggage. you can get the burned stamps that way. i dont know if its for kids or was it for people who want to keep in their luggage.
personally, i will be going up Gotemba trail. the most difficult hike due to the distance and ground being more gravel-sand. visiting Hoeizan before continuing to the summit and descending Subashiri.
after this, i will be done with Mount Fuji. i might plan to do other easily accessible japan mountains if my knees dont degrade in the next 10 years.
Thanks John this was a interesting to see the rules too follow when in Mount Fuji and also the website but I can’t read some of it because it’s Japanese
I’ll most likely be skipping most of Kyoto as the overtourism there is too much. Plus I was lucky enough to see Kiyomizu-sera and the Fushimi Inari Taisha in October 2022 as the country reopened. Can’t wait to see the Nintendo Museum that’s supposed to open later this year and is 20-25 mins south of Kyoto station. As for Mr Fuji it’s still on my bucket list LOL.
Planning to climb July 2025.
After learning of this there is nothing that can convince me tourism is an overall good.
Its taken way to long for this to happen, glad if finally is. Fee should be more as well and re-invest it into rehabbing the environment.
I love climbing mountains but hate, absolutely hate, the descent. I almost always go head over heels on the way down. I think it’s my big feet
Another wonderful stream John. Will you ever Mail postcards from the Mt. Fuji post office? I understand a post mark from Mt.Fuji is special.
Maybe but I feel bad that they have to carry so many down 😂 maybe less now with less climbers? Good idea!
I think travel influencers should promote other areas of Japan, not just the same spot for the same content that hundreds others have done. In turn, Municipalities that are traditionally not a foreign tourist hotspot will need to start making some infrastructures to draw in more foreign tourists.
Tokyo, Osaka, Kyoto, and the area surrounding them are just too congested with tourists already. Need to spread these out.
Huts can't even be reserved since they are all full. This will screw people more
Yes, it’s a big pain to reserve them. I don’t want to go through brokers and agencies to book cabins, another reason that maybe this isn’t worth it anymore.
@@onlyinjapanGO broker and agencies definitely are booking the huts in advance, the huts know the agencies will pay in advance that guarantees their operation cost.
Mt. Fuji is the definition of a tourist trap. As an avid hiker I wouldn't recommend climbing it at all. I've never had an interest in hiking it because you can see it's completely the opposite of why you hike in the first place, which is being immersed in nature away from the crowds. There are many many trails all over the world that are worth taking a vacation just to hike.
It also has the potential to ruin your vacation. If you're not hiking steep trails on a regular basis, your lower legs are going to get destroyed and you'll be hobbling around for the next 3 days on your vacation.
Bro I come to Japan to relax ,,not to climb mountains 😂 ❤
😂
Can't believe with the poorly dressed tourists.
I saw that one cringy video of a self proclaimed filmmaker hiking the Grand Teton poorly prepared. Wearing worn out tennis shoes, black t shirt, jeans, and using tree twigs instead of poles. Because this is where Rocky IV was filmed double as Russia.
If they want to curve the bullet climbing, then they’re gonna have to put more accommodations on the mountain. There’s already not enough rooms to sleep for everybody or at least some tent areas. And you really should spend the night on the mountain just to the altitude so you’re not going up so fast for sunrise. But that’s just my opinion.
very good information. whenever I go to Japan I know to NOT climb Mt Fuji!
😂 you don’t NEED to climb it. Most Japanese never do.
LOL!
Bruh the reservations are going to be completely filled up. No one will be able to climb
1) it starts May 20th.
2) 1000 people a day can just show up, first come first serve.
3) by no one, you mean everyone after the 4000 a day?
4) there may be “resellers” which will become a sour issue. I wonder if the registration locks in a name. Let’s hope it does.
"no one" --- looks at Mt Fuji with 4k people on it every day.