Messy Panda: [Trekking] Fuji Mt. - spiritual temple of Japan

Height: 3776m
Team: A-lone
Time: July, 2014
Place: Kawaguchiko, Japan
Trail Ascend: Yoshidaguchi Trail head. (850m), Yamanashi Prefecture.
Trail Descend: Fujinomiya trail, 5th station (2400m), Shizuoka Prefecture.
Difficulties: ** (2/5), since it's summer hike.

This moment --- when the sun is rising on top of Fuji Mt.

Intro:

1. Admission:

Usually, trails are open from early July to mid September! You can check for more details here: Fuji Climb season. If climbing season ends, you need to ask for permission.

2. Number of trails:

a. Yoshida: oldest and longest, not steep; since ancient time, it's official trail that hold many holy rituals. Most of the mt. huts gather on this trail.
b. Fujinomiya:This route is the shortest and lowest in elevation among the four trails and, therefore, is the second most popular course next to the Yoshida Trail.
c. Subashiri: east side of Mount Fuji. You start from a lower elevation than Yoshida Trail. This trail is characterized by the abundance of plants and trees up to an elevation of around 2,700 m and the sand run on the descending trail. The trail is suited to climbers with experience because there are fewer huts.
d. Gotemba: starting from the elevation of 1,440 m, is an exceptionally difficult route compared with the other routes in both distance and the difference in elevation.

More details here: Fuji mt. Route

Trails of Fuji Mt. Source: Japan Guide

3. Access:

Train JR Tokaido Shinkansen Line 'Kodama': Tokyo Station > Shin-Fuji Station (1 hour and 15 minutes) or Fuji Kyuko Bus: 2 hours and 15 minutes

Local bus to North Sengen Shrine (height: 850m)

4. Mt huts booking:

Every station there're many huts. But my personal opinion 8th station would be the best height to stay, for 2 reasons: first I started from trail head, and second, at least you have some distance to walk until the summit. You dun want to go there too fast when it's still dark and cold.

One of the huts in 8th station is :http://www.mfi.or.jp/fujisan/. I booked and get all email contacted by Japanese, they dont use English in email but speak English, luckily. No deposit required, I guess because Japanese do business by credit. So if you booked the hut, please do come.

I stayed there, dinner is ok, nice staff; however, breakfast is sth you shouldn't put too much expectation. The hut was full and you just get right enough place to lay down, sleeping bag already well-prepared. (And for this trip I brought my own, no need to get it out. Don't have a lot of place to move comfortably, also don't have time; you gonna be hurry in the morning.)

Hiking Notes:

I've heard that it's quite an ugly mt. to hike, without any trees and fauna and you have to queue in line to get to the top. Uhm, my word is: it depends. Beauty lies the eyes of beholder and the holiness stays in the heart of devout. As the spirit of Japan, Fujisan nowadays more like a sight seeing spot than a mountain.

However, my worry is the capacity of Mt. Fuji to hold thousand of ppl in this high season? Ppl line up miles away and moving slowly to the top. One of the big rock fell down and thrilled through right in front of me (yay, just me, among the huge crowd, just me, how can ???? ), luckily it just get my legs bruised. Back to the main point, how can a mt. suffer such a huge crowd trample on? Once upon a time, she's a holy mt. , a sacred goddess. At present, to many ppl, she's just a must-go-sight-seeing when visit Japan.Fuji became one of the most visited mt. of the world.

Japan take really good on hiking trail management. Easy to access to hiking trail head by bus. Good condition hiking trail. safe and clear trail, convenient mountain huts attract thousand of hikers, tourists visit every summer.Mt. hut like a small convenience store, just 3 times expensive than the original price. Guiding station and first aid station along the way. Bio-toilets are everywhere (from a humorous perspective, excrement is everywhere, and if the mt. active again, I'm not sure that the magma is the thing gonna be threw to the air. :)) )

Let's review some scenic ard Fuji first, before officially step on the trail to this sacred mt.

The Japanese say that the clouds that cover the tops of other peaks only curl around the foot of Fuji. Its summit, a lofty place of contemplation, provides an attractive sanctuary for the deities, who dwell there free from the sorrow that trouble the world below.

View from Kawaguchi station

Sengen Jinja Torii: Away from Kawaguchi station 10-15 mins walk (as I remember) is this can't miss scenic spots.

Fuji Sengen Jingja Torii (aiks, the cloud cover the sacred mt.)

Fuji North Sengen Shrine, formally known as Kitaguchi Hongū Fuji Sengen Jinja (北口本宮冨士浅間神社, "North Entrance Fuji Sengen Shrine"), is the main Sengen Shrine on the north side of the mountain. Means there are other shrines from other sides? And the head shrine of them all? Let's talk about it later in my other series of Japan Shrines.

View of Fuji Sengen Shrine

The main deity worshiped and was symbol of Fuji Mt. is Konohana (木花咲耶姫) goddess.

Konohana Sakuya Hime originally had little or no connection with Mount Fuji. Sometime between the 14th and 16th centuries, the belief arose among the people of the region that she would protect them from eruptions of the volcano as she had her newborn son from the flames of the burning bower. During the Tokugawa period, between 1600 and 1868, the Fuji-ko [Fuji mountain-climbing] movement confirmed Konohana Sakuya Hime as the principal goddess of the sacred mountain. She is now the central deity in major Shinto shrines at the base of the volcano and on the rim of its crater.

Ironically, until late 19th century, women was banned from trekking to the summit, only can reach to very low station and must turn back.

View at Sengen Shrine Trailhead, by that time, the enchantress walked by. Seems I was brought to ancient time.

Yoshidaguchi Trail:

Below is my hiking note for your references. The map is offer for free at train station. Those pictures of map were taken from internet. Mine was drop off last time when I moved to new place.

Map of traditional Yoshida Trail 1

Map of traditional Yoshida Trail 2

After the trail head, several altars appear, and we got long way to go to the 1st station, almost 2hrs trek.It's said the soil here are plump enough due to volcano eruption long time ago. Not very steep, muddy road, almost no view except for trees and trees. Actually, there're bus services from the trail head to Umagaeshi station.

On the way to Naka no chaya (teashop in middle of forest?)

Naka no Chaya ( which literally meaning is teashop in middle of forest?), is the last stop for food and convenient and nice toilet.

Umagaeshi, official start of the trek, I consider. Here, they have volunteer aunties who offer drinks and some traditional cake, pickles to encourage hikers. Many ritual symbols stayed in silently woods, the sun was hidden from high above make this place seems colder. Before, Buddhism and mountain belief are highly practiced here, therefore set up a densely religious atmosphere; so sacred that only Nobles and Religious Fellow reach here.

富士嶽神社 Fuji Peak Shrine

Mt. Purifying Stone 富士山禊所 , 禊 means perform one's ablutions(purify oneself with water), it's a kind of rituals.Fuji Mt. has been an object of worship, so ancient people purify themselves here before hiking. As my Japanese friend, Taro Tanaka, explained.

富士山禊所 - Fuji Mt. Purifying Stone

Monkey on the sacred mt also seems more peaceful?
For a long time, Buddhism was the powerful and strong effect to this holy mt.

Though the mt. climbing opening ritual still been held (on July each year), in memorize and keeping traditional spirit; sadly, even Japanese hikers are rarely met up during the whole track, before reaching 5th station. More torii, altars, and sacred symbols on the way that can be found, but most of it was abandon and not in good conditions. They once a cozy cabin for earlier monk or mountain religious hikers.

1st station, now is an abandon wood shelter

2nd station, otw, there're holes full of rocks and stones.

The trail is in very good condition, step by step, take it easy.

What a lovely couple! Auntie help uncle on every step he made.

Akaii Torii (Red torii) with an abandon wood shelter.

Before 5th station, there's a small shrine. For this one, you can throw money inside and pray for luck.

As the banner introduce, this one is the real 5th station cabin hut, long time ago.

5th station (Go gome), when arriving here, I met one team (seems come from the same company or same college, I forgot) that are well-equipped. There're a bus stop for Subaru line, shops, restaurants and a shrine of course at the gate of 5th station. Where normal Fuji climbers will gather and start their hike. I came from the other side, and decided not to head to the gate, but continue my journey to the top. As you can see, there're great opposite of before and after 5th station. No more trees, more rocks and stones with very low grass on the way. On the way, many cabin. So instead of placing km stone, we just need to count the mt. huts to know where you are.

Unbelievable. They are climbing mt...

Their backpack quite small size, for not bring sleeping bags.

From now, just climb up and up and up

To 7th station, the sea of clouds is all under your foot.

8th station Here's where I stayed, 元祖屋 . They have cabin in both 6th station, 8th station, I remember. In one mt. huts, I think there're hundred people. We slept side by side, like packed tuna in the can. Just one station a way from mt. top. I think I'm good with 8th station. Though, next day, woke up at 1:00, get ready and started at 1:30.

He was making a souvenir stamp for tourist climbers.
Every mt. hut have their significant stamp, stand for different height that they reached.

Breaking dawn climb

It just 1:30 am, I follow the crowd and get in the line. The queue moved very slowly, heading to the top. Falling rocks sometimes, and there're several Japanese volunteer/administrator in charge of making the line clear and save. So slowly that for hundreds meters that take 2hrs. For you need to wait and wait and wait, until you can place your next step. So...don't get out of mt. hut too late, you don't want to miss the sunrise, while you still in line.

Not pictures of fireflies, but headlamps of ppl hiking for sunrise on Fuji mt. top.

If you wonder what's in the top. There're bunch of shops, selling for souvenir.　WTH???

I reached mt. top at 3:30, means still have one more hour to wait until breaking dawn. Though it's cold like hell, however, I'd like waiting here with a hot can of coffee, more than in moving crowd downside.

Again, stunning sunrise on top of Mt. Fuji. With the torii, everything seems so "Japan".
Worth for waiting in freezing weather.

Okumiya, Shrines on top of Mt. Fuji, it is a major part of Fujisan Hongu Sengen taisha, which located downtown of Fujinomiya city, Shizuoka Prefecture. This shrine is dedicated to a goddess "Konohana sakuya hime no mikoto". Mt.Fuji is worshipped by this goddess, as mentioned above. 2014 summer, the shrine was renovated, so...no worship and praying. So sad!!!

View of landscape around Fuji Mt.

Ohachimeguri (Round a bound) this is a must do job when you visit Fuji. Whole round would take 1-1.5hrs. There're eight peaks in total, and the highest one is Kengamine, with a weather observatory station settled on. Ashes, stones, boulders... are expected view inside Fuji Mt.

Inside live volcano Fuji, on the left is Kengamine, highest peak.

Inside live volcano Fuji

Fujisan-cho Post office: the highest post of Japan, for sure. You can buy stamps here, but should prepared writings and cards first, to save time. I love stamped from all over the world, I quite like it. Though many people will questions what's the purposes of bringing letters up and down the mountain. LOL.

Fuji Mt. Post

Fujinomiya Trail

Descend from Fujinomiya trail. This trail just have soils and rocks, take quite long time than I expected. It's said 120mins. Due to my knees problem, I took triple the time for descending. Without trek pole it's really a nightmare for me. This one is the shortest rout to summit.

Last shrine near mt. top

Some places on the ground, we still can see white ice snow.

Fujisan Hongū Sengen Taisha ( 富士山本宮浅間大社)

From the trail head of Fujinomiya, taking bus back to low land, and walk 15 mins to this shrine. The shrines that were built to worship Fujisan as Asama no Okami (浅間大神) are Sengen-jinja shrines, and Fujisan Hongu Sengen Taisha shrine is the headquarter of Sengen-jinja shrines. Means this one is greater than the one I entered in Yoshidaguchi Trail head.

Wait? It's not Konohana (木花咲耶姫) the goddess main God of Fuji? Actually, the association of Konohana sakuya-hime with Mount Fuji appeared to date only to the early Edo period (1603-1868). Previous to this, the god of Mount Fuji was named Asama no Okami (浅間大神). Is it sound like Feminist revolution?

The compounds of the shrine contain "Waku tama ike Pond", which is Fujisan's spring-fed pond, and in the past religious believers would use its water to purify their bodies here before climbing Fujisan.

It's just outside of the pond. After descending, I also wanna purify here. lol

Brief hiking timetable:

1st day

Kanatori ----------------------------------------------------9:00

---bus---

North Sengen Shrine--------------------------------------9:13

---look around---

Yoshidaguchi Trail head(860m) ------------------------10:21

---3.6k---

Nakanochaya(1100m）-----------------------------------11:21

---3.8k---(bus)

Umagaeshi（1450m）------------------------------------11:48

---2k---

San-gome (1840m) ---------------------------------------13:01

---1.5k---

Go-gome (2300m)-----------------------------------------14:20

----2k-----

7th station（2700m）-------------------------------------16:40

-----2.4k-----

8th station 元祖室(3250m)------------------------------- 19:20 stay

2nd day

start----------------------------------------------------------01:28

----1k-----

9th station(3600) ------------------------------------------02：52

----400m---

Yoshidaguchi summit-------------------------------------- 03：30

==wait for the sunrise 4:30 and take a round along the summit ; descent at 8:30 Subashiri trail, reach trail head 15:00, took bus and arrived city at 16:00==

Hope climbers will treat this holy mountain as it deserve.