Mayor warns off-season Mount Fuji hikers

Fujinomiya Mayor Hidetada Sudo used a May 11 press conference to denounce hikers climbing Mount Fuji outside the official season after another round of rescues on the mountain. He said off-season climbers were not taking responsibility for their actions and were putting rescue workers at risk, according to Japanese media reports. The comments came weeks after a 27-year-old Chinese student was rescued twice in four days on Mount Fuji during the spring off-season, drawing renewed attention to safety rules. Official guidance from Fujiyoshida City and the Mount Fuji climbing website says climbers should refrain from off-season ascents because trails, huts and toilets are closed and conditions remain severe. ### What exactly did the mayor say? Hidetada Sudo said on May 11 that out-of-season hikers were “not taking responsibility for their actions” and criticized what he described as an assumption that rescuers would come if something went wrong, according to SoraNews24’s report on the press conference. He also said rescue operations exposed emergency workers themselves to danger on the mountain. (soranews24.com) Fujinomiya is one of the cities at the foot of Mount Fuji and gives its name to one of the mountain’s main climbing routes. Sudo’s remarks followed a recent injury case on the Fujinomiya Trail and came amid broader complaints from local officials about repeated rescue callouts outside the summer climbing window. (soranews24.com) ### Which rescues pushed the issue back into the news? A 27-year-old Chinese student living in Japan was first airlifted from Mount Fuji on April 22, 2025, after suffering altitude sickness near the summit during the off-season, according to Associated Press reporting carried by CBS. Four days later, authorities rescued him again after he returned to the mountain to look for belongings including his phone. (soranews24.com) That case prompted fresh warnings from officials about spring conditions on Japan’s highest peak. NBC News, citing police, also reported the climber was rescued twice in one week after going back to search for his lost phone. ### When is Mount Fuji officially open to climbers? Fujiyoshida City says the official climbing season on the Yoshida-Guchi trail runs from July 1 to September 10. (cbsnews.com) The city says mountain huts are open and services are available at the Subaru Line 5th Station during that period, and that its official stance with Yamanashi Prefecture is: “Please refrain from climbing Mt. Fuji during the off-season.” (nbcnews.com) The official Mount Fuji climbing website says the 2026 season is scheduled to open on July 1 for the Yoshida and Subashiri trails and on July 10 for the Fujinomiya and Gotemba trails, with the summit crater rim walk also scheduled for July 10. The site says opening dates can be delayed by snow conditions. ### Why do officials say the off-season is different? Fujiyoshida City says that after September 11 all services above the 5th Station on the Yoshida route are closed and any climbing above that point is at the climber’s own risk. (city.fujiyoshida.yamanashi.jp) The city also says climbers above 3,000 meters in winter must submit a climbing plan to Yamanashi Prefecture Police. Yamanashi police data published by Fujiyoshida City show six reported fatalities and 12 rescue incidents on off-season winter Fuji since 2016. (fujisan-climb.jp) The city says risks include avalanches, falling rocks, low temperatures, whiteouts and strong winds on the isolated peak. ### What rules will apply when the season opens? The official Mount Fuji climbing website says 2026 restrictions on the Yoshida Trail are largely unchanged from the prior year. (city.fujiyoshida.yamanashi.jp) Fujiyoshida’s FAQ says the Yoshida route has a daily limit of 4,000 climbers, while Japan National Tourism Organization guidance says climbers must pay a mandatory 4,000-yen fee and that access is restricted between 2 p.m. and 3 a.m. for those without mountain hut reservations. May 8 marked the start of pre-registrations on Shizuoka Prefecture’s official Fuji Navi app for 2026 climbs on Shizuoka-side routes, according to the official Mount Fuji climbing website. The Yoshida and Subashiri trails are scheduled to open on July 1, followed by the Fujinomiya and Gotemba trails on July 10. (fujisan-climb.jp) (city.fujiyoshida.yamanashi.jp)