Five climbs around Tokyo to get your Mount Fuji fix

For the first time since 2019, Mount Fuji’s mountain huts are open for the normal climbing season of Japan’s iconic peak.

Before you strap on your hiking boots, though, know that most huts are still limiting capacity to 60-70% over concern for the lingering COVID-19 virus. Combined with the pent-up demand of inbound tourists and the usual glut of seasonal hikers, essentially all of the huts up the four usual trails are booked out for the year.

The method of dangan tozan (literally “bullet climbing”), where hikers climb straight to Mount Fuji’s 3,776-meter summit without stopping to rest and adjust to the elevation, is also an option — albeit a risky one. While Fuji is not a particularly taxing climb for hikers in relatively good shape, altitude sickness — and the headaches, dizziness, shortness or breath and other symptoms that come along with it — can strike anyone. There is specific concern about tourists who are not prepared to handle the additional physical stress from rushing up in this fashion.