Tourists Can't Climb Japan's Iconic Mount Fuji For Most Of The Year
By Hillary Louise Johnson
VACATIONS
Mount Fuji is held sacred by many Japanese people. The iconic mountain is summited by 200,000 people a year during the short climbing season, between July 1 and September 10.
There's a good reason for that short season — the brutality of the freezing wind that whips around the peak renders it unapproachable by ordinary hikers.
Fuji has a well-developed set of trails to the top, so no special skills are required. Still, the average annual temperature atop the mountain is 19 degrees F, even in summer.
Within the short summer window, the weather can turn deadly at a moment's notice. Some hikers have underestimated the length of the climbing day or sudden weather change.