JAPAN TODAY


 

While Mt. Fuji is Japan’s highest mountain, it’s also one of the most popular destinations for hikers in Japan. So while making your way to the peak of Fuji is an experience you’re unlikely to ever forget, it’s also an experience that many others will have, which somewhat diminishes the sense of challenge and uniqueness that comes with the endeavor.

A while back, we brought you the story of a group of expat outdoorsmen who decided to take a more comprehensive route to the top of Mt Fuji by foregoing the usual plan of taking a bus halfway up the mountain to start. Instead they chose to walk from the sea to the summit, and now with bilingual maps from Fuji City in Shizuoka Prefecture, you can do the same.

 

While the route has been technically doable for years, Fuji City has now formally designated it as the Mt Fuji Tourism Climbing Route 3776, referencing the mountain’s height of 3,776 meters.

A series of maps with both English and Japanese explanations lays out the route, starting at sea level from either Tagonoura Port Park or Fujizuka, both of which are located on Suruga Bay.
 

 

Also included are information on sightseeing and accommodation options along the way, since the map’s creators recommend a leisurely four-day, three-night pace, as opposed to the single-day trek undertaken by the hard-core expats mentioned above.
 

 

Alternatively, those with a desire to walk the entire course but without the time to do it all in one stretch can elect to break it up into segments for repeat trips to the area.
 

 

From start to finish, the Mt Fuji Tourism Climbing Route 3776 is 42 kilometers long and, as implied, 3.776 kilometers high, though most of the elevation change comes on the third and fourth days. The map can be found here on Fuji City’s official website.