Don’t Climb Mt. Fuji Offseason, Shizuoka Police Warn; Mountain Saw 4 Deaths Last Year While Trails Closed

The Yomiuri Shimbun

17:17 JST, May 4, 2025

Police are asking climbers to refrain from tackling Mt. Fuji outside the designated season, as adequate safety measures cannot be guaranteed.

A mountaineer who became ill while climbing Mt. Fuji was rescued by the Shizuoka prefectural police in late April, before the official climbing season. Even in spring, snow lingers on the mountain, and anyone incapacitated by altitude sickness or other factors may face a long wait for help.

On the Shizuoka side, the mountain typically opens on or around July 10. At that time the winter closure is lifted on the trails from the fifth station to the summit, and many climbers from Japan and abroad arrive each year.

Nevertheless, a steady stream of people attempt to reach the summit before the opening date. On April 26, a Chinese university student in his twenties who is living in Tokyo’s Shibuya Ward became unable to descend near the eighth station on the Fujinomiya route.

Another climber dialed emergency services, and the police mountain rescue team retrieved him.

The same student had climbed Mt. Fuji just four days earlier, become sick and been airlifted out by helicopter. He ran into trouble again when he returned to fetch belongings — including his mobile phone — that he could not carry down during the first rescue.

Last year, the bodies of three climbers were discovered near the crater before the season opened; all had gone missing while climbing during the offseason. According to the police, Mt. Fuji had 70 search-and-rescue cases in 2024, with 10 fatalities.

Of the six accidents that occurred while the mountain was closed, four involved death.

Even in spring, snow remains near the summit and temperatures fall below freezing. “Depending on the weather, strong winds and other factors can make rescue extremely difficult,” an official warned. “It’s nothing like calling an ambulance on flat ground.”

Up-to-date information on trail openings is posted on the Shizuoka prefectural government’s website. The prefectural government said it announces the end of the winter closure roughly a week in advance and urges would-be climbers to confirm the details.