Mt. Fuji's trails are named into 10 stations, depending on the elevation. The 5th Station on this route is at the end of the Subaru Line Highway (toll road.) When descending, look for signs pointing to the Subaru Line and Kawaguchiko near the Fujisan Hotel, and near the Edoya Hut at the junction with the Subashiri Route to ensure you go down the correct trail.
You can see sunrise easily on this way, because this route is on the east face. But of course you need stay or climb over night in order to see sunrise. I did! More on that later. The setback of this route is that Kengamine, the highest point (3776 meters high) at the top, is located on the other side of the crater of the top. To reach Kengamine, you have to go around the crater. More on that later! How To Go? The limousine bus from Narita Airport goes directly to Shinjuku station and then you change another bus for Mt. Fuji area very easily whose ticket office is located just across the road from the point you get off the limousine bus. If you take the train, JR Narita Express, from airport, it's rather complicated for the first comer at Shinjuku station to find the bus for Mt. Fuji or to change another train, JR Chuo Line. At the exit of the customs and the baggage claim area of the Airport, there exists limousine bus ticket counter, and you buy the ticket for "Shinjuku station" (around 3,000 yen). After around 90 minutes bus ride, which depends on the traffic conditions, you arrive at Shinjuku station just in front of the Keio Department Store building. Then, you buy the Chuo Highway Bus ticket bound for "Fujikyu Highland" (around 1,700 yen) at the Bus Ticket Office mentioned above.
After around 80 minutes, the bus arrives at "Fujikyu Highland" just in front of the Hotel. ATTENTION: The final bus bound for Mt. Fuji area from Shinjuku station is 20:10, and so if you want to arrive at the Hotel on the day, please try to choose the flight which arrives at Narita before 17:30. Otherwise, you will have to reserve the hotel at Narita area or Shinjuku area.
Mt. Fuji is located on the boundary between Shizuoka and Yamanashi Prefectures and from either side a beautiful view can be enjoyed. However, most travelers choose to go to the Yamanashi side, where the Fuji-Five Lakes nestled around the foot of the mountain. Traveling by car from Tokyo, it will be two to three hours to reach there via highway. It is recommendable for visitors from overseas to take a sightseeing bus departing from Shinjuku (Some buses take you up to “Go go me” the halfway point to the mountain top). When you choose to travel by railway from Tokyo, take Chuo Line from Shinjuku and then change to Fuji Kyuko to reach Kawaguchi-ko Station, which is about a 2.5-hour trip.
a)The west exit of Shinjuku satation in Tokyo ---(a through bus(Keio or Fujikyuko bus),about 2 and a half hours) --- the 5th station Time table and telephone numbers
b)Shinjuku station in Tokyo---(Japan Railway Chuo line)--- Ostuki station---(Fujikyuko line)--- Kawaguchiko station ---(fujikyuuko bus to the 5th station)---the 5th station
CHUO HWY BUS: SHINJUKU to 5th STATION of MT FUJI
What To Bring?
- Layered Clothing.
- Rain Gear.
- Sturdy Shoes.
- Warm Gloves.
- Hat.
- Water.
- Food.
- A Flashlight. <
- Yen.
- Portable Oxygen <
- Respect for the Environment.
NICE TO HAVE!- Friends.
- A Radio.
- Ear Plugs.
- Climbing Stick.
- Binoculars.
- Camera and Film.
- More Warm Clothing.
- A Map.
- Good Attitude.
My Adventure Begins...July 18, 2004 Off To The Fith Station
Five hours stuck in traffic inside the Chuo Highway bus was by no means a good sign of things to come. Advertised as 1-½ hours travel time, I had already formed lots of planning on how to kill time, what to do, what to check out but obviously things don’t usually go your way as the saying goes. I sigh and tried to enjoy the scenes although I don’t exactly know what to do. First times can either be the worst or the best of times, and personally I don’t think it’s coming to the brighter and lighter side of things. Although I must admit that being in this bus and finally setting foot at Mt. Fuji, also known as the highest peak in Japan, is already quite an accomplishment. Immediately there is a feeling of accomplishment and a promise that somehow thing are going to be great. Surely I prepared for this adventure, searched the Internet and made one hell of last minute shopping.
My checklist:
Round Trip Tickets, CHECK
warm clothes CHECK
Information that might come in handy like a map, I had the map right but I forgot it! Of all things!
Well to calm myself down, I scanned the view and was pleasantly surprised to see some of the most beautiful things nature can possibly offer for free. Look at the great cloud formation! Surely a sight to behold!
I’ve read that it is essential to buy a climbing stick. I have one at home but since I was not originally planning this climb, I don’t have it now so I needed and quite frankly wanted one. Walking sticks somehow added security and company especially if you're trekking this famous mountain alone and for the first time. Yup, my Mt. Fuji walking stick is going to be my best buddy in the next 24 hours.
They say when you reach the top, the stick has to be stamped to make your ultimate journey a success and show off to your friends back down. This stick is going to be a present for my friend. Along with the stick is a small map that would serve as my guide (and later on I would discover that this small map could be a great motivator to go on and reach the top) in my pursuit of this challenge. After cleaning myself up and letting out a great sigh, it was time to go and start my journey.
4:00 PM 07/18/2004. The base of my journey is at the 5th station, halfway the summit. This is as far as the bus could take me. I would have to climb about 2000 KM more. With the map as guide, and the rest of the hikers, I disappear and join the crowd as my journey begins…
The first two~three hours is a walk in the park. With all the awesome views, fellow jolly trekkers, locals and foreigners alike to keep me company, I move on with so much anticipation. I have reserved thru the internet an overnight stay at Hinode Ryokan and have confirmed my reservation over the phone. It’s supposed to be in th 7th station. My plan is to stay here for the night, get up early to see the sunrise and then off to the summit.
Share A Cup Of Coffee, Warm The Heart
Hinode Ryokan proved to be more than as advertised in the Web (don't they all?). Shortly after 7PM I arrived at Hinode and was greeted with smiling faces of its staff. I found the owner, a little old man to be animated and entertaining. Forgive me for my very poor memory, I can never remember names! (something to work harder for in 2005!)
More on Hinode here.
I seated near the hearth which the owner continuously boasted as more than 150 years old, made in 1826! Wow, I'm impressed. This hearth must have been witness to so many stories shared by people warming themselves up. My mind was contemplating as I warm my hands. The owner, let's call him Tanaka-san, told me, "you have excellent Japanese, I was impressed when you made the reservation", I modestly replied "thanks". He continued to probe me, obviously trying to get me into a conversation, "What are you? Malaysian", "Filipino" I answered back.
We started talking about the pictures hanging on the walls, about how beautiful sunrise is from Hinode. And he introduced me to Sumiko Horii, the photographer who owns the website. She's a small, shy girl. I was surprised. She said she's half-Brazilian, but she hasn't spoken English so she's kinda rusty. I instantly liked her. Maybe because we share a common passion for arts, or maybe because she could understand a little bit English, or maybe because of the accommodating aura of her Website. Instantly I made friends with her.
Three Japanese girls came and checked in. They were jolly and friendly girls. One was a nurse whose working for the other girl's dad's hospital. That girl whose dad owns a hospital was a business woman who manufactures surgical gloves. The third one is an easy-going secretary of the business woman. Whew, what relationship they have! But they told me that times like these they are just mere best friends. These three girls helped out the staff by inviting other people to come and stay at Hinode. It was a fun and light moment for everyone, as we enjoy the animated talks of these three girls at the same time going back and forth the hearth for warmth. Summer nights in Mt. Fuji could really really be very cold.
Then, there were these Vietnamese exchange students. They could speak only English and Hinode staff could only speak Japanese, so they asked me to interpret. It turned out that these group of 7 boys and girls wanted to stay at Hinode and they're asking for student discounts. But the owner said, there's no such thing as student discounts in Mt. Fuji. And he couldn't give special discounts because it's unfair for other guests. And the 7 begged. But to no avail.
I felt pity for these Vietnamese students, so I said, "OK, I'll pay for Y2000 for each of you, you pay the remaining Y2500 each so you can stay and warm yourselves. "
Tanaka-san told me he will not accept my money 'coz it's not right. He said these students should produce their own money. He told me, it's tough but it's business and we have to practice discipline. We have to be consistent. You are very soft-hearted. It's not a sin but people might take advantage of you. You are too kind."
I didn't know if that was supposed to be a compliment or a reprimand. But in my mind, I was thinking, the hell with business, I've given up being business woman anyway, and if it's wrong to be too soft-hearted, at least I've tried to help people and tried to put smiles on their faces. Money is not that important to me.
These students got very ashamed and they said they could not take my money. So they decided that the 3 girls stay, the 4 boys lend them money and they just meet at the top in the morning. They were thankful and I felt good for them 'coz they got to warm themselves.
The 'scene' was pacified and we all sat down comfortably around the hearth. Now I'm convinced that this old thingy really witnessed a lot and heard a lot.
We all woke up to see the sun rises from the horizon, it was a splendid view. I've always wanted to see the sunrise, and I never thought that I could see it for the first time, in the perfect place possible. Where else but in the east-side of the highest point in the land of the RISING SUN. It really is indeed worth the wait.
After a cup of coffee, I was off again. My journey has just began.
July 19 2004 Reaching The Summit
I never thought that this trek could be so treacherous. I've read in the internet that from 7th station it could take me around 3 hours more to reach the top. But after rough terrain, rocky roads, thinning air and 3 hours, I was barely at the 8th station??!! And there's 2 more stations to go. From the 8th station, you could see nothing good. At least my tired mind and body thought. Nothing but steep rocky slopes. No greeneries. Nothing except the clouds forming heavily near my head. All of a sudden I wanted to quit. Oxygen has been so thin from the 8th station and I could barely move. After 1 minute, I needed to rest. I felt so nauseated. Now, I begin to realize that I have missed on the most important thing ~ OXYGEN TANK! Before this trip, I felt so confident coz I'm physically fit. I've been religiously going to the gym, I have regular badminton training and in Tokyo I run. But it seems all these conditionings are not enough to prepare my body from this. This is worse than 'planting rice' drills my badminton coach instructs me to do. And as I try to push myself to move I pass by men who are almost collapsing, some are already half-unconscious and are inhaling in their oxygen tanks. My poor me, I don't have one. All I could do is a sip of gelly-based energy drink advertised by a popular idol here. Stupid! Stupid! How could you even thought of climbing this mountain???? I'm becoming more and more upset. Thoughts to give and just go down entered my mind at least a hundred times, but as I look down and think that I'd have to pass the same route again, 'no way, I'd never go back that trail again', told myself. So inch by inch, second by second, I moved. I looked up and tried to motivate myself. And then I came to a realization that during the direst, most hopeless times, there's really nothing to do but just think of the moment and move little by little, slowly and don't think anymore. I tried that very primitive approach and viola! The 9th station mark. Ahh...thank goodness. There's only 1 more station and it's about 750meters only to the top. I couldn't wait. And I couldn't wait to get down.
So after drinking and inhaling some air, I moved again. But this time, the air was really really thin. I was already running out of breathe. I moved slower. It's already 11.30am, my target was to be at the top by 11am and I was already running 30 minutes late. This trail is so much more like rock climbing. And the slope has gotten really really steep, it's almost 30 degrees I think. Good think I had done Wall Climbing in the past so it's kind of a entertaining trail for me. However, I really couldn't not take the thinning air. At one point I almost collapsed, good thing I was able to hold on to a big stone, or else I would have fell. Ahh God is still good. I told myself. I just hang in there for around 5 minutes, drowsing on and off. There were few people here, and at this point I got scared. I was climbing alone and I was drowsing on and off already. I really thought that I'd die here. It was almost a regret having to climb Mt. Fuji. My motivator was the summit stamp. I promised myself that I'd give this walking stick stamped with REACHED MT. FUJI TOP 2004.07.19 so I told myself, just a little bit more. Yes, my only mantra at this point "little by little, slowly but surely". And true enough at around 12.45PM 2004.07.19, on a cloudy Monday afternoon, after 20 1/2 Hours I reached my goal. I CONQUERED MT. FUJI!
At The Top
The top of Mt. Fuji is the most peaceful and beautiful place I've so far gone in my life. I was above the clouds! It was unbelievable! I never thought that I could reach the clouds but there I was above it! It feels so great and so self-satisfying. All my worries, my nausea, my regrets and memories of the difficult trails instantly disappeared. It's such a great feeling. And I could see Yamanashi Prefecture and Shizuoka Prefecture from where I stand. Wow! By train, it takes around 4 hours to go and travel from Yamanashi to Shizuoka. Two of the most memorable places in the past for me. Yet, there they were. They looked so small, and so distant. I felt greater than those two prefectures, I felt bigger than the memories these places bring. And I felt so free! What do you know? My Mt. Fuji adventure and triumph brought me back to a distant past and again to the present. It was indeed the best decision to come and see what this famous mountain could offer.
I realized that I was shivering from the cold so I decided to sip some udon soup. It was quite crowded and as I waited for the food to come, the tatami room seems to call me and inviting me to come and lie. My body heeded without any hesitation. And so I fell as asleep. The thought that my bus leaves at 4pm instantly awoke me. It's already 2pm. And my udon soup was lying beside me, already cold. So I tidied myself and rushed outside almost running to come down. I've read in the internet that it takes 3 hours to come down. But based on my experience 3hours could mean 5-6hours. I'll never gonna make it. I decided to take my time and go for the 5pm bus schedule instead.
The trek downwards is more fun. It's like your skiing in the sand. Although admittedly my knees hurt. And if you're not careful it's more steep and narrow so you'll instantly fall and find yourself in Shizuoka Prefecture if you're lucky to be alive! Anyway, I enjoyed the trip down and hmm...the internet was right, it took me 3 hours! Just right for the 5.30pm bus schedule.
Going Home
On my way to the bus terminal, I heard loud voices calling behind me. What do you know the Vietnamese students I met in Hinode. "Please help us, some of our friends are missing". They all looked so worried. I asked them if anybody has mobile phone, they said no one. That's bad. Trying to act calm, I asked them, if they have agreements like if somebody gets lost, where they'd supposed to meet. They told me that they'd meet up in the entrance. But they've been waiting for around 2 hours already. Hmmm..That sounds bad. With the number of people in the 5th station, it seems almost impossible to locate their friends. So I told them, "can you call your hotel and asked if they've called?" And they called but apparently there's no message. Hmmm..that's even worse. I told them. Ok, if they don't get back after 30 minutes, we all go back to Tokyo and pray that their friends are safe. I found out the missing ones are the guys, so it gave me more confidence.
Then they said, "we're in trouble, coz the last bus already left at 4pm". Now, I also started to panic a little bit. I said, "no, last trip is 8pm". They said that the old lady said that last trip was 4pm. So I said, "ok, wait here and I'll check". Indeed 4pm. The internet schedule didn't say that until July 31, last trip would be 4pm. Whole of August 8pm. Now I'm in trouble too.
I went back to these girls and told them that we needed to take the local bus to a local train and from there we find our way back to Tokyo. They all agreed. I was like a Mommy Hen with all my lost Vietnamese chicks. In short we ended up taking the train. I told these girls, follow my lead. But somewhere in a 'Norikae', a place where we shift train lines, these girls disappeared. They rode another train. "Oh well, so much for being extra accommodating. They should get a little bit lost so they'd learn their lesson" I told myself. I looked at my watch and it's already 8.30pm, oh no, I don't wanna miss SmapXSmap, so I asked the station master, if there's a faster train. He said there is at 8.45pm and it's around 60 minutes to Shinjuku, but the Rapid express has a special ticket price. I said I don't care so I purchased one. There were two Americans who saw me and asked, so I refered them to the station master for ticket purchases.
I arrived back in Shinjuku at 9.45pm and I found myself dashing as fast as I could back home so I wouldn't miss SmapXSmap. I made it! Just as I opened the TV set, there it was the Opening Act with Shingo's wacky face focused. Whew! What an adventure! ahahahhaa
Let me recall:
- I planned to climb and reach Mt Fuji in 12Hours, it took me 20 1/2 hours.
- I planned for the cheapest travel expense possible, I ended up paying for more coz I missed the bus, shifted from local train to limited express.
- But I reached the top, I got the stamp and I'm now greater than the 90% of the Japanese who have never ever reached the top of their highest mountain!
- I got a appreciation post card from Hinode's Tanaka-san and a free 7th station success stamp on my stick.
- I warmed the hearts of those I sat beside the 150 years old hearth in Hinode!
- I didn't miss SmapXSmap!
What more can a girl ask for? A new adventure? Why Not?!
Side Trips Anyone?
From around October, the temperature sometimes drops below 0 C, so take warm clothes and other necessary precautions for cold weather. When you have a chance to come to Japan and if time allows, extending your trip route as far as Mt. Fuji is probably one of the good choices.
