Making the climb to the summit of majestic Mount Fuji
People come from all over Japan to climb to the summit of Mount Fuji to see the sunrise.
Buses from Tokyo’s Shinjuku district conveniently drop climbers off at a station located at the 2,300-meter (7,546 feet) point of the majestic mountain, the country’s tallest at 3,776 meters (12,388 feet). It’s not cheating. This is where most people start the long _ and crowded _ trek.
The Yoshida trail is the easiest and most popular among the climbing routes, with climbers wearing headlamps and carrying heavy packs spaced just feet apart on the rugged, rocky terrain. It takes an average hiker five to six hours to reach the summit. Most spend the night in simple mountain huts and start the final ascent in darkness. Being crammed together in the sparse accommodations is part of the communal climbing experience.
A group of hikers climb to the top of Mount Fuji just before sunrise as clouds hang below the summit Aug. 27, 2019, in Japan. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
Witnessing the sunrise from the summit of the nation’s symbolic mountain is hard to top. Watching it paint the sky deep orange is magnificent.
Climbing season runs from early July to early September, Mount Fuji will open to the public a couple weeks before the Tokyo Summer Olympics opening ceremony on July 24.
After the descent, visit picturesque Lake Kawaguchi to photograph Mount Fuji from afar.
Hundreds of climbers wearing headlamps form a long line as they climb to the summit of Mount Fuji to watch the sunrise, Aug. 3, 2019, in Japan. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
A man with a headlamp climbs to the summit of Mount Fuji, Aug. 2, 2019, in Japan. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
A climber makes his way along the Yoshida trail past an arrow sign as he heads to the summit of Mount Fuji, Aug. 2, 2019, in Japan. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
People climb to the summit of Mount Fuji, Aug. 26, 2019, in Japan. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
A climber stops to take pictures of clouds while climbing towards the summit of Mount Fuji to watch the sunrise, Aug. 27, 2019, in Japan. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
people climb through a dense fog as they make their way along the Yoshida trail towards the summit of Mount Fuji, Aug. 26, 2019, in Japan. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
The shadow of Mount Fuji is casted on clouds hanging below the summit, Aug. 27, 2019, in Japan. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
People climb the steep slope of Mount Fuji, Aug. 26, 2019, in Japan. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
A man inhales oxygen from a can in a mountain hut while getting ready to climb to the summit of Mount Fuji to watch the sunrise, Aug. 3, 2019, in Japan. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
Waiting for the sunrise, climbers eat noodles in a restaurant located on the summit of Mount Fuji, Aug. 27, 2019, in Japan. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
Two climbers on a horse descend the Yoshida trail of Mount Fuji, Aug. 26, 2019, in Japan. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
A climber poses for photos after watching the sunrise on the summit of Mount Fuji in Japan, Aug. 27, 2019. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
People gather around a torii gate as they watch the sunrise from the summit of Mount Fuji, Aug. 3, 2019, in Japan. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
Hundreds of climbers watch the sunrise from the summit of Mount Fuji in Japan, Aug. 3, 2019. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
A couple hugs while watching the sunrise from the summit of Mount Fuji, Aug. 3, 2019, in Japan. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
A boy walks into the water, Aug. 6, 2019, in Lake Kawaguchi, west of Tokyo. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
Text from AP News story PHOTOS: Making the climb to the summit of majestic Mt Fuji by Jae C. Hong.
Photos by Jae C. Hong