July is a bustling month for Japan! Aside from hosting the Tokyo Olympics, the Land of the Rising Sun is also reopening the picturesque Mount Fuji just in time for climbing season.
Last year, the 3,776-meter-high volcano was closed to visitors for the first time in around 60 years due to the COVID-19 pandemic. During its last open climbing season in 2019, the place welcomed approximately 236,000 visitors.
Photo: Unsplash/Max Bender
Now that the popular tourist attraction has reopened, visitors could once again try any of the four climbing routes up the mountain: the Yoshida Trail, Fujinomiya Trail, Subashiri Trail, and Gotemba Trail.
The Yoshida Trail, the most popular route taken by visitors, opened on July 1, 2021, while the three other routes opened on July 10. All ascending trails will be open to climbers until September 10, but only the Yoshida descending trail will be open until the morning of September 11.
The availability of the trails may still change depending on the weather and the COVID-19 situation. As a precautionary measure, visitors will go through a temperature check and will be asked to fill out a form before climbing the mountain.
