Mount Fuji's New Rules: What You Need To Know

Written by Carey Finn

Mount Fuji has introduced rules for climbing, including trail fees and caps on climbers since 2024. The measures, which also apply in 2025, aim to protect both hikers and the environment, in the face of “overtourism”. Here’s what you need to know.

2025 fees and rules for Mt. Fuji

The following rules apply for summer 2025.

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Trail fee

All climbers taking the Yoshida Trail — the main route up Mt. Fuji — will be required to pay ¥4,000 to pass through specially installed gates at the fifth station. The trail toll fees will be used for maintenance.

Important: The trail fee does not include a mountain-hut reservation; it is totally different from accommodation. Mountain huts on Mt. Fuji must be reserved — and paid for — separately.

Online reservations for the Mt. Fuji Yoshida Trail

You can book and pre-pay your trail fee on the official Mt. Fuji website. Group reservations for up to 100 people are accepted online.

Reservations open on April 24. You can make a reservation until 11:59 p.m. of the day before your climb, but reservations will close as soon as the quota is exceeded, so — the earlier, the better. Note that you’ll still need to get through the gate before 2 p.m. (unless you have a mountain-hut reservation).

Other trails

Climbers taking the other trails — the Subashiri, Gotemba or Fujinomiya trails — will need to register for an entry permit in 2025, and pay a climbing fee of ¥4,000. Registration can be done here from May 9 onwards.

Caps

The number of climbers allowed on the Yoshida Trail will be limited to 4000 per day during the official climbing season. However, this cap will not apply to climbers with mountain-hut reservations.

There is no cap on the number of climbers on the other trails in 2025.

Time restrictions

Night climbing will not be allowed, and the Yoshida Trail will be closed from 2 p.m to 3 a.m. every day. For reference, in 2024 the tolls closed at 4 p.m. Those with mountain-hut reservations will be allowed through the gate, but they are encouraged to go through earlier, for safety.

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Note: Climbers entering the other three trails between 2 p.m. and 3 a.m. will also be required to stay in a mountain hut overnight. Advance bookings are necessary.

Mt. Fuji rangers

A number of “Mt. Fuji optimization rangers”, or mountain guides, will be present. They will have the authority to intervene where climbers fail to abide by the rules.

Why are there rules for Mt. Fuji?

Every year, hundreds of thousands of hikers make their way up and down Mt. Fuji’s slopes. Climbers often report queues, litter, and irresponsible behavior. “We’re worried about a domino-effect accident,” said Yamanashi Prefecture governor Kotaro Nagasaki, at a press conference explaining the new rules in 2024, when they were first introduced.

Governor Nagasaki cited myriad issues, including: excessive crowding near the summit; climbers lighting bonfires and sleeping along the paths; and “bullet climbing” — where people go straight to the top without taking a break, thereby heightening the risk of hypothermia and altitude sickness. The new measures are intended, above all, to “safeguard the lives of climbers”, he said.

FAQs

How many people climb Mt. Fuji?

In 2023, 221,322 people climbed Mt. Fuji, with 137,236 of them using the Yoshida Trail.

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Why did it take so long to introduce restrictions?

The Yoshida Trail was classified as a prefectural road, previously, meaning it required unimpeded access under Japanese law. The trail had to be recategorized, in a way, in order for gates to be installed and restrictions put in place.

What other measures are being considered?

Every year, millions of visitors and tens of thousands of vehicles ascend and descend Mt. Fuji. There is concern that the UNESCO World Heritage site will lose the beauty and serenity that make it such a historically sacred place. The prefectural government is considering various measures in response, including a new rail transit system, as well as the revival of ancient, alternative climbing routes in a bid to decentralize and decongest the hikes.