Mount Fuji Yoshida Trail (Subaru Line)

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This was an extremely special trip for me, and I was very happy to share it with my friend Takuma (Taku-chan 😊). It was always a dream of mine to be able to make it to the top of Mount Fuji (Fujisan) and watch the sunrise. I'm happy to say that I have finally been able to accomplish this goal that I've had since I was a kid. Fujisan stands 3,776m tall and is the tallest mountain in Japan. It is an active volcano and is one of Japan's Three Holy Mountains.

About Fujisan Trails

There are 4 primary trails that lead up to Fujisan's crater rim. The climb up to the crater rim for each trail is divided into 10 stations. Each route starts at their respective 5th stations (you can technically start from the bottom). Takuma and I decided we would take the Yoshida Trail.

It is a bit misleading because the Yoshida Trail is the only route that starts at a 5th Station that doesn't share the same name as the trail name. The Yoshida Trail does has a trailhead further down but, the 5th Station for the Yoshida Trail is the Subaru Line 5th Station. You can find out more about each trail at Official Web Site for Mt. Fuji Climbing.

Takuma and I decided we would stay 1 night around the 8th station along the Yoshida Trail, and wake up early to make it to the top before sunrise.

Fuji Yoshida Trail (Subaru Line)

The ascent from the Fuji Subaru Line 5th Station, via Yoshida Trail, is about 1450-1500m of elevation and 6.5km of distance. This will get you to the summit crater where you will find Kusushi Shrine, one of many shrines on the mountain. If you travel an additional kilometer and roughly 100m of elevation around the summit crater you will reach the true summit of Fujisan.

The Yoshida Trail is the most popular and easiest route up to the summit. It has the best access from Tokyo and is the most developed route on the mountain. It starts at about 2300m (Fuji Subaru Line 5th Station), which is the highest starting point for any of the routes to the summit of Fujisan.

Getting to Fuji Subaru Line 5th Station

There are many express highway busses that run from Tokyo (Shinjuku Expressway Bus Terminal) to Fuji Subaru Line 5th Station. Takuma and I decided on a leisurely start and reserved seats for a bus that would leave Shinjuku around 8:00am.

It took us about 2 hours to arrive at the Fuji Subaru Line 5th Station. Once we arrived we were pretty excited because the weather was amazing and there were many excited people preparing to climb the tallest mountain in Japan!

We took a look at the shops and walked around the area. By the time we were ready to start hiking it was around 10:45am. We had a reservation to stay the night at a mountain hut at the 8th station. The mountain hut we booked for the night was Horaikan. The hut is located at around 3,150m. From the Fuji Subaru Line 5th Station it is about 850m elevation and 4.2km of distance.

The Ascent

The climb up Fujisan is pretty consistent, in every sense of the word. The views are great but they don't change. The incline isn't terrible but it doesn't change, and it's just straight up. The climb is pretty rocky and the there is a lot of scree in the terrain. It's a nice climb with a lot of space on the trail.

This truly is a hike most people can complete. It's challenging on a hot day for people who don't normally hike but, I wouldn't say it's too challenging. Although, it's important to be aware of the risk of altitude issues. Be sure to drink lots of water a few days leading up to your hiking day, and bring energy bars and snacks with lots of electrolytes and carbohydrates.

We took a few breaks on our hike up to our mountain hut but, we got there without exerting too much energy. We arrived at Horaikan in just under 3 hours.

We check in and drop off our bags, and we're told that dinner will be served from 4:30pm. We've got plenty of time to relax and take in the views. The hut is really great, we booked 2 beds in a dormitory style room. It's all you really need, especially if your waking up early to catch the sunrise.

We hand out outside and chat and take a look around while we wait for dinner. After a bit of time outside Takuma goes in to take a little nap and I go and lie down as well, until dinner is ready...

The dinner is surprisingly not that bad!

After dinner, we lie down again. At around 6:45pm, we go back outside to catch the sunset. It was a bit cloudy but, it still looked really nice.

After the sunset it's time for bed. We decide that we will wake up around 2:00am and start hiking. We've made it all the way up to the 8th Station, there is no way we are waking up late for the sunrise.

Alpine Start: 2:00am

Today is the day! We wake up right on time, and we start hiking around 2:00am on the dot! We get all packed up and head out. Soon after we start hiking we pass some vending machines. 500 yen for a bottle of water! Makes sense...

These are quote possibly the highest vending machines in all of Japan! I feel bad for the people who have to restock it...

These vending machines are located at the Kusushi Shrine at the end of the Yoshida Trail. We've made it to the crater rim! It only took us about 1 hour and 15 mins to get here! From here, we made the trek along the crater rim to the true summit. We hiked for about another 45 mins until we reached the summit! The view at night, with the moon and the light of the early sunrise was absolutely beautiful!

Sunrise from the Summit of Fujisan

We arrived at around 4:00am and, we were so happy about making it to the summit! We were even more stoked that we knew we would be able to see the sunrise. There weren't any clouds where we were which isn't always the case. There were some clouds in the distance and high up in the sky. This made for a nice view as it can be pretty cool to have some clouds in sight. It can give the sky a nice texture with light reflecting off of them.

Now it was time to wait for the sun to rise. It was a bit cold now that we were stopped. We waited until around 4:44am when the sun started the break the horizon. We took a ton of photos, so I'll just share a couple good ones, including one of an expensive Coca-Cola Takuma bought from possibly the tallest vending machine in all of Japan 😂

The Descent

The descent from the summit of Fujisan is pretty grueling. Your constantly walking down at a steady decline and your descending on scree and loose rocks. Be careful not to roll your ankle!

It can also be quite nice because you've just summited the tallest mountain in Japan, hopefully with rewarding views. On our way down we saw some more awesome views, including a view of Fujisan's shadow in the distance.

We also made a stop at the Sengen Okumiya Shrine which is the main shrine at the summit of Fujisan. The precinct of this shrine amounts to nearly 4,000 square kilometers, and includes all the land above the 8th Station of Fujisan. The main deity of this shrine is called Konohanasakuya-hime or, the Goddess of Mount Fuji. Her symbol is the cherry blossom.

We both wrote a prayer on an Ema and left it hanging at the shrine, hoping that the Goddes of Mount Fuji will receive it.

This was truly an experience I will never forget. Looking forward to coming back to ski Fujisan as well. Check back soon to read about my (future) experience skiing Fujisan!