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2025.09.11

Mt.Fuji Outside of the Opening Period

 

‐ The opening season for Mt. Fuji is as follows: -
 
 Yamanashi Pref.  Yoshida Trail  　from JUL. 1st         to SEP. 10th
 Shizuoka Pref.  Subashiri Trail  　from JUL. 10th 　to SEP. 10th
 Gotemba Trail  　from JUL. 10th 　to SEP. 10th
 Fujinomiya Trail  　from JUL. 10th 　to SEP. 10th
　(5 - 6th Sta.: Late June to early November)
 

Except during the summer opening season,
all trails to the summit of Mt. Fuji are closed.

The trail between the 5th station and the summit of Mt. Fuji is closed in accordance with  Article 46 of the Road Act.
(The Fujinomiya Trail from the 5th to 6th station has a different opening period from the other sections.)
Violation of the law may result in imprisonment for up to six months or a fine of up to 300,000 yen.

Yamanashi Pref. Flyer
(Japanese ver.)
Shizuoka Pref. Flyer
 [Notes on Yamanashi Pref. Flyer ]
Red line and orange dotted line are closed for the winter.
红色线和橙色虚线在冬季关闭。不可通行。
 
Effective November 1, the greenish-yellow line will be closed. (It may be closed earlier)
黄绿色线将从11月1日（有可能提前）起实施冬季关闭。
 
Effective November 1, Blue line - Izumigataki to Sato-goya - is closed.
Blue line - Sato-goya to 1st station, Nakanocyaya - is passible.
However, there is a risk of fallen trees or rocks, so adequate equipment and caution are required.
蓝色线（泉泷～佐藤小屋）自11月1日起冬季封闭。
蓝色线（佐藤小屋～一合目・中之茶屋）可以通行。
但因有倒木和落石等状況，需要充足装备并注意安全。
 
[ Multilingual Ver. of Shizuoka Pref. Flyer ]

Climbing Mt. Fuji outside of the opening period is extremely dangerous.

The opening season for Mt. Fuji (above the 5th sta.) is as described above, and the hiking trails are closed at other times.
When the trails are closed, aid stations and mountain huts are closed. Mt. Fuji's harsh weather conditions are often hit by violent blizzards and strong gusts of wind, which are extremely dangerous and pose a high risk of mountain accidents.
The causes of accidents are varied, including
  • Lack of information about the weather, etc.
  • Being in a tourist mood
  • Not having sufficient equipment
  • Lack of knowledge and experience
  • Unreasonable climbing or a tight schedule
  • Overconfidence that one will not cause an accident
and many more.

Fatal accidents have also occurred involving experienced climbers who were knowledgeable and well-equipped.
For information on Mt. Fuji when it is closed, please see the section below titled "Status of Mt. Fuji outside of the opening period."

Status of Mt. Fuji outside of the opening period

 There is no guarantee of safety outside of the open mountain season.
Please understand that, unlike the summer open mountain season, the mountain turns into a dangerous place where even experts with specialized knowledge, equipment, experience, and physical strength can get lost.
Average minimum temperature at the summit of Mt. Fuji every 10 days
Data source: Japan Meteorological Agency website
1) Severe weather conditions - Temperature -
The basic weather conditions are completely different during the summer mountain opening period and at other times.
The graph shows the trend in daily minimum temperatures (every 10 days average) at the summit of Mt. Fuji from 2022 to 2024. Looking at this, we can see that temperatures were below freezing for most of the time the mountain was closed, and that it was particularly cold, below -10°C, from November to April of the following year. Temperatures may appear to be milder during other periods, but rising temperatures in May and June pose a risk of avalanches and slides, and the risk of hypothermia is extremely high from September to October, coupled with typhoons and long periods of autumn rain.
 
Note) This does not mean that temperatures will not drop below freezing during the summer mountain opening period. Temperatures will simply average above 0°C every 10 days, and even during mountain opening periods, temperatures can drop below freezing, sometimes causing icicles to form on the summit crater.
2) Severe Weather Conditions - Wind
Furthermore, even more severe than the temperature on Mount Fuji outside of the open season is the strength of the wind. It is said that the average wind speed is over 15m/s, and that maximum wind speeds can exceed 40m/s. It is not uncommon for pebbles from scoria to fly and hit you in the face or eyes, or for sand and snow dust to fly and block your view. There is also the risk of falling due to gusts of wind or slipping on icy surfaces (many accidents have occurred, especially in early spring).
3) Facilities are unavailable.
Facilities such as aid stations, toilets, and mountain huts are closed during the winter, meaning that you cannot take refuge there. In the past, there have been cases where someone broke into the 5th sta. facility while it was closed for the winter and set it on fire, and there have also been cases where someone illegally entered a mountain hut and stole money and valuables, but both of these are clearly criminal acts.
Public toilets at the summit: Closed in winter
Yoshida descent Trail 7th sta. Public Toilet: Closed in winter
4) The Trails are not maintained
During the mountain's opening season, even if landslides caused by typhoons or other factors make the mountain trails difficult to walk on, maintenance is carried out immediately, but once the mountain is closed, no maintenance is carried out on the trails for climbers. Furthermore, the guide signs, guide maps, guide ropes, and other items commonly seen during the mountain's opening season are removed or put away for the winter, and no efforts are made to ensure the safety of climbers. Furthermore, the lack of maintenance on the mountain trails increases the probability of rockfalls, putting people's lives at risk.
During the mountain opening period, Sep. 5, 2025. Immediately after a landslide caused by a typhoon (Yoshida Trail) [Photo provided by Yamanashi Pref.]
During the mountain's open season, on Sep. 6, 2025, the trail was restored (Yoshida Trail) [Photo provided by Yamanashi Pref.]. During the mountain's open season, the trail would be immediately restored, but during the mountain's closure, no trail maintenance for climbers will be carried out.
5) Difficulty connecting to mobile phones
During the summer mountain opening season, many climbers visit, so mobile phone carriers respond by increasing the number of base stations during this period. However, once the mountain opening season ends, the power to the facilities is turned off and the additional base stations are removed, so mobile phone signals are almost impossible to connect.
6) Rescue teams cannot reach the rescue
Even if a disaster does occur, rescue operations can be difficult due to the harsh weather conditions, and rescuers as well as the victims themselves are put at risk.


"I'm OK with it."
"It's OK because it's at your own risk."
"Everyone else is climbing, so it's okay."
Climbing a mountain with such a careless attitude is extremely dangerous, so please refrain from doing so.

Status of Mt. Fuji outside of the opening period (in terms of nuisance)

Up to this point, we have explained six points from the perspective of "protecting lives." There is one more point we would like you to know.
Even after reading the explanation so far, some people may think, "It's not possible to go during the dead of winter, but surely it would be possible to go just before the mountain opens or just after it closes." However, the period around the time of opening is a precious time needed for the maintenance of Mount Fuji's facilities, such as repairing and renovating mountain huts and constructing facilities such as training dikes. Planned construction work must be completed during the limited time outside of the dead of winter, while also keeping an eye on the weather. What would happen if climbers were to ascend while the trail in front of the mountain hut is blocked and vehicles carrying materials are passing by? This would hinder work and be a "nuisance" to Mount Fuji.
We ask for your understanding, as this is also important maintenance for the next year.
 

Guidelines for Off-season

Although the above regulations exist, it is also true that people with sufficient knowledge, experience, and physical strength attempt to climb Mt. Fuji when it is closed at their own risk, and this has resulted in accidents.
In order to prevent such accidents and to preserve the natural environment, the "Guidelines for Ensuring Safety When Climbing Mt. Fuji" (mainly precautions to take outside of the summer mountain season) were established in 2013.
There are rules in place for Mt. Fuji, including a prohibition on climbers who are not fully prepared from climbing outside of the summer mountain season, so please abide by these rules. The main points are as follows:

1. No one is allowed to ascend the mountain unless they are fully prepared.
2. A Climbing Plan must be completed and submitted.
3. Off-season climbers bring their own portable toilets.

Contact

Yamanashi Prefecture
　Culture, Tourism and Sports Department　Mt.Fuji Tourism Promotion Division
　Phone: 055-223-1315

Shizuoka Prefecture
　Sports, Culture and Tourism Department　Mt. Fuji World Heritage Divison
　Phone: 054-221-3746

Ministry of the Environment
　Fuji-Hakone-Izu National Park　National Park Office
　Phone: 0460-84-8727



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