Mount Fuji, Japan (The Trail Gate)
My Conversation at the Mount Fuji Gate
Climbing Mount Fuji now costs 4,000 yen, and gate staff check your shoes and jacket. I arrived in my best suit.
Mount Fuji’s climbing season opened on July 1. Climbers must now book ahead and pay a fee of 4,000 yen. At the Yoshida Trail gate, staff check for proper shoes, warm layers and rain gear. I arrived in my best suit.
At the Gate
“Good morning. Do you have hiking shoes?”
“I have Italian leather shoes. Very shiny. The mountain will be able to see itself.”
“Warm layers? It’s cold at the top.”
“I have a jacket, a vest and a warm personality.”
“Rain gear?”
“I have an umbrella with my name on it.”
“I’m sorry, sir. Not like this.”
Second Try
I came back in hiking boots, a fleece and a rain jacket, bought in a hurry. The gate staff checked everything and smiled. I had booked my place and paid my 4,000 yen. I had also booked a mountain hut, because without a hut booking, you can’t set off between 2 p.m. and 3 a.m.
I didn’t make it to the summit. I made it to the hut, which had a view, a bed and hot noodles. For me, that’s a summit.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why the new rules?
To keep climbers safe and the trails less crowded. Some people were setting off at night without the right gear. I would have been one of them.
When does the season end?
September 10. After that, the huts close and the trails shut until next summer.