Mount Fuji in 2026: New Rules, Higher Fees, and Why the Old Way of Climbing Is Gone

Women were banned from climbing Mount Fuji for most of its recorded history. The doctrine of nyonin kinsei, or “no women rule,” held during the Edo period that women were ritually impure due to menstruation and childbirth, and their presence would defile the mountain’s sanctity. The first recorded woman to summit was Tatsu Takayama in 1832, who reportedly disguised herself to do it. The ban was formally lifted in 1872 as part of Meiji-era modernisation. This history is worth knowing because it underlines how seriously the mountain has been treated as a sacred space. Fuji is regarded in Shinto tradition as the home of a goddess, Konohanasakuya-hime, and Fujisan Hongu Sengen Taisha, the main shrine at its base, was first constructed in 806 CE. The eight major shrines around the mountain’s foot predate the tourist infrastructure by more than a thousand years.

The contemporary problem is the opposite of restricted access. In the 2024 season, roughly 205,000 people climbed Fuji. Litter, unprepared hikers in sandals and shorts, crowding on summit approaches in the middle of the night, and a Lawson convenience store in the adjacent town of Fujikawaguchiko blocking a famous view of the mountain (which the town eventually addressed by erecting a screen) pushed Yamanashi Prefecture to implement new restrictions for a third consecutive year.

What Changed for 2026

The climbing fee on all four official trails is now JPY 4,000 per person (approximately USD 27), doubled from the JPY 2,000 introduced on the Yoshida Trail in 2024 and extended to all routes. Payment and registration must be completed online before the climb; you receive a wristband at the trailhead. Book at the official registration site (fujisan-climb.jp).

Gates are closed from 2:00 PM to 3:00 AM. Rangers physically staff the gate at the fifth station and turn people away who arrive in the closed window. The only exception is climbers with confirmed mountain-hut reservations, who may pass the gate to reach their booked hut. This effectively ended the “bullet climbing” practice of racing to the summit overnight without proper preparation or rest.

Daily limit on the Yoshida Trail: 4,000 climbers. The Yoshida Trail is the most popular route, starting from the Fuji Subaru Line 5th Station. When the daily cap is reached, gates close early. Weekend and holiday dates fill their quota. Register as soon as booking opens (typically May or June for the current season).

Equipment checks are mandatory. Rangers at all trailheads now refuse entry to climbers in sandals, sneakers, or without rain gear. You must show: hiking boots or sturdy trail shoes, waterproof jacket, warm layers, a functioning headlamp, food, and at least two litres of water.

Climbing season 2026: Yoshida and Subashiri trails open July 1. Fujinomiya and Gotemba trails open July 10. All trails close September 10.

The Four Trails

Yoshida Trail is the most accessible from Tokyo and the most crowded. The Fuji Subaru Line bus runs from Kawaguchiko Station to the fifth station. The trail takes 5-7 hours to ascend and 3-5 hours to descend. This is where the 4,000-person daily cap applies.

Fujinomiya Trail is the shortest route by distance, starts at 2,400 metres above sea level (the highest fifth station), and is popular for being fast. It is steep and can feel claustrophobic on a busy day. Access is from Shin-Fuji Station on the Shinkansen.

Gotemba Trail is the longest and least popular, which is the appeal. It starts lower (1,440 metres) and requires more time and fitness but sees far fewer climbers than the Yoshida route. A massive volcanic sand slope called the Osunabashiri makes the descent unusually fast. From Tokyo, reach Gotemba by bus from Shinjuku.

Subashiri Trail merges with the Yoshida Trail near the eighth station. It passes through forest in its lower sections, which provides more shade and a different character to the upper-mountain experience. Falls under the same July 1 opening date as Yoshida.

Mountain Huts

If you want to summit at sunrise (which produces the most dramatic light and the best photographs), you need to climb partway, sleep in a mountain hut, and continue to the summit for dawn. This is no longer optional if you want to pass the gate during the night closure. Huts are booked months in advance for peak weekends. The Yoshida Trail has the densest cluster of huts between the seventh and eighth stations. A bunk in a hut with dinner and breakfast costs roughly JPY 12,000-15,000 (USD 80-100). Conditions are dormitory-style; space is tight.

Getting to Mount Fuji from Tokyo

The most useful transport hub is Kawaguchiko (Lake Kawaguchi), about 100 kilometres southwest of Tokyo. From Shinjuku Station, the Highway Express bus (operated by Keio Bus and Fuji Kyuko) runs directly to Kawaguchiko in about 1 hour 45 minutes for JPY 2,000 each way. Advance booking is strongly recommended on peak weekends.

From Kawaguchiko, the Fuji Subaru Line 5th Station bus runs to the trailhead for approximately JPY 1,750 return (seasonal operation during climbing season).

The Shinkansen to Mishima or Shin-Fuji and then a local bus or taxi is the standard approach for the Fujinomiya Trail.

The Fuji Five Lakes

If you are not climbing, the Fuji Five Lakes district (Fujigoko) provides the classic viewpoints. Kawaguchiko (Lake Kawaguchi) is the most accessible and has the best tourist infrastructure, including the Chureito Pagoda at Arakurayama Sengen Park: a five-story pagoda with a 398-step staircase that provides the postcard view of the pagoda with Fuji rising behind it. The climb to the pagoda takes about 15 minutes from the base.

Motosu-ko (Lake Motosu) provides the view used on the old Japanese 1,000-yen note and is still the cleanest sightline on a clear day. Access requires a car or a less frequent local bus.

Oshino Hakkai is a village with eight natural springs fed by snowmelt from Fuji, traditionally believed to have formed when the mountain last erupted. The springs are crystal clear and the water is cold year-round. The village is a short drive from Kawaguchiko and makes a quiet stop compared to the lake promenade.

Where to Stay

For climbing access, staying at Kawaguchiko the night before gives you a 30-minute bus ride to the trailhead. Fuji Lake Hotel (JPY 15,000-25,000/night) on the Kawaguchi lakeshore has Fuji-facing rooms and a decent restaurant. For more modest budgets, guesthouses and hostels in Kawaguchiko town charge JPY 3,000-8,000 per person per night.

Onsen ryokans in the area are an excellent base if you want to recover from the climb with hot spring bathing. Fujiyama Onsen in Fujiyoshida is a public day-use facility with thermal pools if you are not staying in a ryokan.

What to Eat

Houtou is the local dish of Yamanashi Prefecture: broad flat wheat noodles in a thick miso broth with kabocha pumpkin, mushrooms, and vegetables. It is substantial post-climb food, available at restaurants throughout the Kawaguchiko area at around JPY 1,200-1,800 per bowl. Sanrokuen in Fujikawaguchiko is one of the more established spots for it.

At the fifth stations on the mountain itself, simple mountain food (curry rice, udon noodles, warm corn) is available at the station buildings before you pass through the gate. Prices are inflated relative to the town.

Aokigahara Forest

The Aokigahara forest at the northwestern base of Fuji, which grows across a lava flow from the 864 CE Jogan eruption, has a root system that spreads horizontally because the rocky subsurface prevents normal downward growth. This creates an unusually dense and disorienting environment; compasses are reportedly affected by the iron content in the lava rock. The forest is a short drive from Lake Saiko and has easy walking trails that give a sense of its unusual topography. It is unrelated to the climbing routes.

Practical Advice

Register online early, particularly for Yoshida Trail on weekends. The summit is often above cloud cover, and views at the top are not guaranteed even on clear days at the base; check the mountain weather forecast at mountain-forecast.com for the specific elevation. July is cooler and less crowded on the mountain than August; if dates are flexible, early July before Japanese school holidays begin is the least pressured window.

Dress for temperatures at the summit around 5-10 degrees Celsius even in midsummer, with wind chill potentially making it feel colder. The walk from the gate-closed fifth station at night to the summit in the dark, arriving at dawn, remains one of the better physical experiences available to most visitors to Japan. Book the hut early and do not wear sneakers.