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2025.12.01

Mt. Fuji outside the official climbing season

 

‐ The official climbing season for Mt. Fuji is as follows each year: -
 
 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)
 

All trails to the summit of Mt. Fuji are closed outside the official climbing season.

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 the official season is extremely dangerous.

All trails on Mt. Fuji above the 5th Station are open only during the official climbing season. Outside this time, the trails are closed, and there are no first-aid stations or mountain huts available. The weather can be very harsh, with strong winds and blizzards.
Mountaineering accidents can happen due to:
• Not knowing the weather or trail conditions
• Thinking the climb is just a casual outing
• Using poor or unsuitable gear
• Lacking experience or training
• Pushing too hard or rushing the climb
• Being too confident about personal safety

There have also been fatal accidents involving experienced climbers who were well-equipped and knowledgeable.

For detailed information about Mount Fuji during the closed season, please refer to the section below titled "Conditions of Mount Fuji Outside the Climbing Season."

Conditions of Mount Fuji Outside the Climbing Season

 Safety cannot be guaranteed when climbing Mount Fuji outside the official season.
Unlike in the summer climbing season, the mountain can become extremely dangerous, even for experienced climbers with the proper equipment, training, and physical fitness. Please read the following information carefully and understand the risks involved.

10-Day Average Minimum Temperatures at the Summit of Mt. Fuji
Source: Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) website
1) Severe Weather Conditions — Temperature —
Mt. Fuji’s summit weather changes a lot depending on the season.
The graph shows the trend in the 10-day average of daily minimum temperatures at the summit of Mt. Fuji from 2022 to 2024. The graph shows that during the off-season, temperatures are usually below freezing, and from November to April, they often fall below -10°C, making conditions very dangerous. While temperatures may seem milder at other times, warmer weather in May and June melts the snow, increasing the risk of avalanches and falls. In September and October, typhoons and heavy rain, along with dropping temperatures, raise the risk of hypothermia.
 
Note: Even in summer, temperatures at Mt. Fuji’s summit can fall below freezing. While average temperatures may stay above zero, icy conditions and freezing weather still happen.

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
In winter, rescue stations, toilets, and mountain huts are closed and can’t be used in emergencies. Some people have broken into these facilities, started fires, or stolen items. These are serious crimes and clearly illegal.
 
Public toilets at the summit: Closed in winter
Yoshida descent Trail 7th sta. Public Toilet: Closed in winter
4) Trails Are Not Maintained
During the climbing season, typhoon damage and landslides are quickly fixed. But after the season ends, trails are no longer maintained. Safety signs, maps, and ropes are removed or stored, making the climb more dangerous. Without maintenance, falling rocks become a serious threat to life.

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.]. Trails are regularly maintained during the climbing season, but no repairs or upkeep are done after it ends.
5) Limited Mobile Phone Reception
During climbing season, mobile carriers add extra base stations to support climbers. After the season ends, these facilities are shut down, and phone service is scarce.

6) No Rescue Services Available
If an accident happens, rescue can be very hard because of bad weather. It’s not just risky for the injured person—rescuers can also be put in danger.

Thinking
“I’ll be fine,”
“It’s my choice,”
or “Others are doing it, so it’s safe”
can be very dangerous. Please don’t climb Mt. Fuji based on these assumptions.

Outside the Official Climbing Season: Issues of Disturbance and Trespassing

Up to this point, six key safety points have been covered to help you stay safe while climbing Mt. Fuji, and one more important point should be noted.
Some people may still think that climbing just before or after the official season is feasible, even if mid-winter climbs are impossible. However, this period is crucial for maintaining Mt. Fuji’s facilities, including repairs and renovations of mountain huts and construction of infrastructure such as diversion dams. These tasks must be completed during the limited periods outside mid-winter, while carefully considering the weather.
Climbing blocked trails in front of mountain huts while supply vehicles are operating disrupts work and constitutes a problem for Mt. Fuji. Such actions are entirely the climbers’ fault.
This period is also vital for preparing for the next climbing season. Anyone who fully understands this would naturally refrain from entering the mountain, and those who cannot understand it have no right to climb.
 

Guidelines for Off-season

For safety reasons, climbing Mt. Fuji outside the official climbing season is extremely dangerous and is strongly discouraged.
However, in reality, some climbers with sufficient knowledge, experience, and physical strength attempt to climb the mountain during the off-season at their own risk, which can sometimes result 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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