Climbing Fuji: reservation, fee and season rules

The fee was $26 (¥4,000) per person per climb on all four trails, per the Yamanashi and Shizuoka notices. Hut guests pay it too, and the Yoshida fee also covers your descent if you climbed up another trail. A Yoshida cancellation for personal reasons was not refunded; you were refunded only if the prefecture blocked entry.

Dollar figures use about ¥155 to US$1 and are rounded; you pay in yen, so check the rate.

To verify Hut prices and booking dates are not on the official pages. Check the Mt Fuji climbing site for the 2027 dates, fee and cap before you plan a climb.

In 2026 the Yoshida gate stopped climbers without a hut booking from 14:00 to 03:00, and a cap of 4,000 climbers a day applied. Descent was always allowed.

A passage reservation was optional, but once the daily cap was reached you needed one to pass the gate. You paid the fee in advance, and bookings stayed open up to the day. Hut guests were exempt from the closure but still paid the fee. Some outlets say a reservation was mandatory all season. The official page says it was optional until the cap was reached, so follow the official page.

Rule 4 of the Yoshida notice bans bullet climbing, a night ascent with no hut stay, and the gate closure aims to stop it. One secondary travel guide adds that staff turn back climbers without trekking shoes, cold-weather clothing and rainwear. The Yoshida hotline is 055-225-3956 or 3957.

FUJI NAVI registration was mandatory on Subashiri, Gotemba and Fujinomiya, and no daily cap applied. The steps:

• Complete the e-learning and pass the Fuji test.
• Register and pay the $26 (¥4,000) fee.
• Show your QR code at the trailhead and collect a wristband.

You can change or cancel for free until on-site authentication. To enter between 14:00 and 03:00 you need a hut stay. Huts are booked directly with each hut, because the app does not book them. If you have no smartphone, the 5th station offers an alternative that takes about 30 minutes.

Based on the 2026 rules, pick the trail first, because the trail decides the booking system.

1. Choose a trail. Yoshida follows Yamanashi’s rules; Subashiri, Gotemba and Fujinomiya follow Shizuoka’s.
2. Book a hut if you plan to enter between 14:00 and 03:00 or to climb overnight. On the Shizuoka side, book each hut directly.
3. On a Shizuoka trail, complete the FUJI NAVI e-learning, Fuji test, registration and payment. On Yoshida, a passage reservation is optional until the cap is reached, and booking one means paying the fee in advance.
4. Keep your QR code or confirmation for the trailhead, where the Shizuoka trails issue a wristband.

Carry a helmet, mask and goggles, and descend immediately if the alert level rises, the official climbing site says. Fuji is an active volcano; the scale is explained in Volcano alert levels in Japan.

On the Yoshida trail, shelters stand at the 6th station (for ascent) and the 7th station (for descent). Subashiri, Gotemba and Fujinomiya have no trail shelters, so use the huts. Yamanashi has built two rockfall shelters on the descent trail, each holding 135 people standing without luggage, and plans 13 by FY2031, per its newsletter.

In 2026, first aid was available at the Fujinomiya 5th station information point, at the Subashiri aid post from 6:00 to 21:00 and at the Yoshida 5th station aid post from 7:00 to 19:00.

News reports (secondary) say Yamanashi is considering charging for off-season helicopter rescues, while Shizuoka prefers a national policy. No charge is confirmed.

Safety Do not start through the Yoshida gate between 14:00 and 03:00 without a hut booking. Carry a helmet, mask and goggles, and go down at once if the alert level rises.

Volcano alert levels in Japan explains the scale behind the Fuji alert rule, and Bears in Japan covers forest trails on other mountains. The Wild and Trek guide covers volcanoes, hiking tracks and climbing, and the Wild and Trek hub lists every wildlife and trek page.