Fuji from the Fujinomiya 5th Station. August, 2022

Mt. Hoei Crater and Mt. Fuji Behind

Home to Fuji and back in a day


Greetings cavedwellers,

Mrs. Caveman knows me better than I know myself.  About a week ago she asked me, "Are you going to climb Mt. Fuji this year?"  I thought that was a strange question.  Another hike up there was the last thing on my mind.  Well, here it is just a week later and I am blogging about another hike up Mt. Fuji.

Maybe she just wanted to get me out of the house for a day?

This time, I opted to go up from the south side.  We live to the northeast of Fuji so I have always avoided that side because it seemed too inconvenient.  The usual routes to get to that part of the mountain from here would entail long, expensive train rides.  No thanks.  The Caveman is a cheapskate.  Well, on a few of my recent trips to mountains on Izu, I passed through Gotemba and realized I could take my scooter to the area around the Fujisan trailheads more cheaply than taking the trains.

I climbed the Fujinomiya Trail from the 5th Station.  







Let me get the statistics and details out of the way.  

Getting there:  

The trailhead is on the Fuji Skyline (Route 152).  This is closed to private traffic during the hiking season between July~September 10th and you must go to the trailhead by bus.  There are buses from Mishima Station, Shin-Fuji Station or Fujinomiya Station if you are coming by train.  If you are coming by car, you can get much closer to the trailhead than one of those stations.  Fujikyu Bus Co. is the bus company that runs from the train stations.  Even though I can speak and read Japanese, I find their bus schedules notoriously difficult to understand and even hard to find.  Using googlemaps to check transportation routes doesn't give you their accurate schedules.  Fujikyu's phone number for that area is 0545712495.

Since the Skyline is closed to private traffic, you still need to take a bus for that part of the trip.  You can park at Mizugatsuka and catch a shuttle bus from there to the trailhead at the 5th Station's bus stop.  (Fujinomiyaguchigogome 富士宮口5合目).  That shuttle bus runs from 6 am til 5 pm on the hour.  It's about a 30-minute ride.  ¥2,000 roundtrip.  Parking at the Mizugatsuka Parking Lot is ¥1,000.  

This shuttle is run by a different outfit and was really hard to find on the web.  If you can read Japanese, this page will help you: http://www.pref.shizuoka.jp/kensetsu/ke-210/fujisan/  Click on 2 よくある質問and a PDF with prices, schedules and departure points for shuttle buses to the traiheads of both the Fujinomiya and the Subashiri Trails will appear.     I just checked this link (August, 2023) and it's dead.  Rather than put up another specific link that is likely to go dead, I'll suggest you try this search yourself of the Shizuoka Prefecture's page  Good luck.

The hard lesson I've learned about public transportation in the mountains is to check, check, check--and then check again.  More than once I have had hikes "extended" by miles when I got out of the woods to a bus stop only to find out that the bus I'd planned on riding wasn't running that day. Bus schedules that change with the various natural and holiday seasons are very easy to mistake.

The hike:  

I got on the first bus at 6:00 so was on the trail at 6:30.  I got to the Fujinomiya Shrine at the top around 9:30 and then walked all the way around the crater and just a little passed the Fujinomiya Shrine where I had lunch on a rock at the top of the Subashiri Trail around 11~11:30.  From there, I headed down to Mt. Hoei before bouncing back to the Fujinomiya Trail to get to the bus stop.  I was back at the bus stop about 1:45.  It was 13.5km.  The starting elevation was 2,400m and the top of Fuji is 3,776m.  During the hike, I went up  1,652m and down 1,640m.

Weather:  

Weather at top in Japanese

English Forecast

Observations/Recommendations: 

This was my first time to climb Fuji during the day successfully.  Some friends and I were turned back by bad weather on a previous attempt a few years ago.  The convenience of a daytrip was nice.  Even though it meant leaving home at 3:00 am, it was nice to be home for dinner that night!  That is a major pro of doing Fuji this way and from this route.  Another pro for me of this plan was the different perspective.  Since most of my life I have been looking at Fuji from the northern side, it was neat to look at it from the south.  Mt. Hoei and its crater on the south side are cool.  Cons of this type of schedule include the loss of the view as the morning progresses.  Fuji typically gathers a lot of clouds by about 9 or 10 am at this time of year so the best views of it are while you're still on your way up.  By climbing at night and catching the sunrise on top I was able to get long views before the clouds came.  When I was on top yesterday, I couldn't see much of anything down below.  Another con is the sun.  I didn't feel that it was particularly sunny . . . but I got a sunburn.  And that is despite wearing a hat and sunscreen.

Clothes.  I spent most of the day in shorts and a t-shirt.  I did have a fleece with me and a few other items but didn't need the fleece except when I sat down to eat. That is a pro of doing it during the day.  At night, it's coooooold and I needed a wool hat and an actual jacket.

I did notice that the type of hikers I encountered on a daytrip tended to be different than on the overnight trips.  There were quite a few families with kids and this was, in many cases, a bad idea.  Many of the kids were fine.  They are like monkeys.  They aren't as heavy as adults and seem to be able to climb well.  Some other kids, though, were over-tired and miserable.  Please, know your own and your kids' abilities before you decide to bring them up there.  I saw more than one father carrying two backpacks.  I saw some kids just passed out on the trail and parents trying to coax them up to get moving.  One mother was carrying a backpack and trying to piggy-back her (rather large) child.

There are lots of websites with information and tips on climbing Mt. Fuji.  It's not my intention of being the definitive guide to Mt. Fuji with this post.  I just like sharing my pictures and experiences!  If you want to ask me any questions, feel free.  You can even do that anonymously if you like.  None of the comments I receive get published until I look at them so if you want to say something just between you and me, you can do that.

Let's look at some pictures.

fujinomiya 5th Station

On the way up.  That black bump is Mt. Hoei.


On either side of the trail were these two posts.


I'd love to know more about this tradition.  There is a USMC training center on Mt. Fuji.  Do any of you know why these Marines and sailors have put their rank insignia here?  For that matter, what is the significance of the Japanese coins?


This is the Mannnen Yuki Hut.   (Mannnen Yuki, 万年雪, means something like "perpetual snow.")
9th Station Mannnen Yuki Hut, 万年雪


There are many of these huts on the mountain.  They provide a place for resting, eating, buying souvenirs or emergency necessities and pay toilets.  One of the cool things they do is brand your walking stick with their particular sign.  Last year, when I climbed Fuji with my son, I cut my walking stick in half and split it with him.  I cut my half down even more so that it is very portable and I can take it back to Fuji again and again.  The stamp I'm pointing at in the picture was put there at the Mannen Yuki Hut yesterday.


Speaking of perpetual snow . . .


This is the top of the Fujinomiya Trail.

Japan's Highest Post Office


I remember first being on the rim of the crater in the late 90s.  It was a cold, windy day.  It was so windy that I was afraid to go this close because it felt like I'd be blown inside.

Fuji Crater



Fuji Crater Coooool



Fuji Crater, cool


This is the tippy-top.  剣ヶ峰--"Kengamine" is what they call this peak.  The component characters are "sword" and "peak" but together they mean crater rim.  
My apologies for the ugly face in the pic. I tried to take one just of the monument, too, but there were a million people around.



Fuji Weather Station

I wanted to show this picture as a representative of one of the ground surfaces here.  These rocks are very light because they are very porous.  They make a crunching sound when you walk on them.


This is another type of ground cover you encounter on Fuji.  This surface is very black, small rocks.  This is easy to walk on.  I actually found myself running here.  Nearby, these rocks get smaller and it turns into very deep sand.  That is hard to walk up.  Going down is easy.  You can slide/run down it. 
This is heading toward Mt. Hoei.


The peak of Mt. Hoei.

Mt. Hoei Peak


The crater by Mount Hoei.  I really wish I had some clearer pictures of this for you.  It's cool.

Time to head home and dream up the next adventure.


Thanks for dropping by.  Thanks to all the new subscribers.  Wow.

Here are some more hikes from Mt. Fuji




Caveman out






































































Beyond Doshi Village. On to Ishiwariyama and Lake Yamanaka!

Swan gif

Beyond Doshi Village!


Hello cave dwellers.

For a long time, I have been trying to complete the route from my house to Lake Yamanak--and then onto Mt. Fuji beyond.  I started trying to ride by bicycle to Fuji a few years ago but was thwarted because the Doshi Road was wiped out in a typhoon.  I ended up doing it by hiking the ridge in sections.  Finishing the trudge through Doshi Village to the mountains overlooking Lake Yamanaka and facing Mt. Fuji was great!



Yamanakako Fuji

This was taken on the road in Doshi Village.  It was a beautiful day for a ride.






This hike was a strategic culmination of a sort.  Lake Yamanaka and Lake Kawaguchi to the west have been targets of mine for the past year or so.  On the Kawaguchi/Tsuru-shi side, I've hiked all the trails from Otsuki to the top of Fuji and also to the north of Lake Kawaguchi.  Until yesterday, I had made only one foray down to Lake Yamanaka on a trip over Mt. Shakushi.  On the eastern side, I've been slogging along the ridgelines to the west of the Doshi River for seemingly an eternity.  Yesterday, I finally reached the lake on that side--and I connected up with the spot where I hiked down to the lake before from the west side.  In military terms, I executed a pincer movement.  🤣

The bit I did yesterday is traced in red.  The pink, orange and white lines are along the Doshi Road.  The yellow, blues and green are on the Kawaguchi/Tsuru side.



Let me get the statistics and details out of the way.

Getting there:  

I took my scooter and parked it by the (湖北バス停) Kohoku Bus Stop.  Obviously, you could get there by bus.

Getting around:  

There are bus stops all around the lake.  There are also rental bicycles (and rental swan boats.

The hike:  

I hiked from the bus stop to Mt. Ohira, Mt. Hirao, and Mt. Ishiwari along with seven other mountains not even worth naming.  I went as far as the Yamabushi (山伏) Pass just because that is as far as I had been before when coming from another direction.  There is nothing there, so I wouldn't set that as a destination.  I hiked 20.3km in about 6.5 hours.  It was fairly gentle and it didn't seem that far.  The lowest point was 985m and the highest was 1,437m.  During the hike I went up 1,275m and down 1,277m.

When I came out of the mountains, I walked along the north shore of the lake for the last 40 minutes or so.  That was a nice end to the day.

Facilities:  

On the trail, there were benches and the occasional roofed structures at appropriate places.  There are no restrooms, waterholes or commercial entities on these trails.  Down by the lake, there are cafes, and the like.  

Recommendations:  

By all means, do this.  I would recommend hiking up as far as Ishiwari.  That has a great view.  I think winter would be a great time to do this when it is clear and you can get a great view of a snow-covered Fuji.  

If you like flowers, you might want to take a turn to the west and check out the municipal flower garden.  I passed through that on a previous hike.  It's pretty enough that a newly-married couple were there having their pictures taken.  Yamanako Hananomiyako Park  That park is 花の都公園 on the left side in the next picture.




Let's look at some pictures.

This first one is one I took of the area from Mt. Fuji last August.


View of Yamanakako from top of Mt. Fuji



Labeled View of Yamanakako from top of Mt. Fuji




Fuji from Mt. Ohira


Mt. Hirao by Lake Yamanaka

Ishiwariyama



The trail was quite gentle most of the way.  There was a lot of wet grass to go through, though.  My feet were soaked after a while.


Yamabushi Pass 山伏峠


Hotel Mt. Fuji


The Katsuragawa (Japanese Judas Tree River) starts here.

"Lake Yamanaka is the source of the Sagami River!  Let's all lend a hand in keeping it beautiful."
Lake Yamanaka is the source of the Sagami River

Fun fact:  You can collect swan feathers along the shore of the lake.  That was what I brought home to Mrs. Caveman.








I found a legit swimming hole!  I have been looking for one on the Doshi River forever!  It's deep enough to really swim in.

Subscribe to the blog and I'll tell you where it is.  It will be our secret.




I was the only person there for a few minutes until a young couple drove up.  I could relate to the guy, he was as excited as a little boy.  😁  He stripped down to his underwear and went in the water.  
His girlfriend wasn't having as much fun, though.  She stayed covered from head to toe against the sun and didn't go in the water.  (I don't think this bodes well for their future.)

I wanted to cheer her up, so I gave her a few of the swan feathers I'd collected.  I should have given them to the guy.  She seemed determined to say no to fun.  🙅  




Like I said, subscribe to the blog if you want to know where the swimming hole is.  

I average a little better than a post a week, so do subscribe so you know when the next one is posted.  I have a trip to Fuji and a trip to the Northern Alps on the calendar so don't miss those posts.

That's all for now.  Take care.  Drop by the cave again real soon.


Caveman out















Doshi Mura, Part II. The saga continues.

When last we saw our hero caveman, he was avoiding Doshi Mura in order to chase the blue skies in more picturesque places.  

Today we pick up the tale as he returns to Doshi Mura to complete some un-finished business.

Here how things looked earlier this week.


. . .  and here's how it looks now.

That looks better nicely tied-up like that, doesn't it?

The theme song of my last hike was "Blue Sky."  For this one, it was this tune by B.J. Thomas.

The weather forecast looked good and the morning was nice.  Driving into the mountains, most of the sky was blue except for some fog/clouds here and there swirling around some of the peaks.  I wasn't worried.  Meteorologists are amazing prognosticators, after all.


This is the Doshi River.  Tsuribori means something like stocked fishing pond.  Along rivers, it means an area where small pools have been created to facilitate fishing.  At a tsuribori establishment, you can have the proprietors roast up your catch for you on the spot.


For this hike, I drove up the road connecting Doshi Village and Tsuri City, Route 24.  I parked next to the tunnel and hiked from there.  Up there it was more misty and foggy than it was lower down along the river.


For the first half of the hike or so, it was misty.  It was a Blair Witch Project kind of day.  I'm pretty sure I saw a bigfoot.



The weather was ok with me.  This trail offers little in the way of long views and I like the fog and mist.  Misty mountains remind me of J.R.R. Tolkien or Led Zeppelin.

This is the highest point on my journey, Mt. Mishotai.  There is nothing to see from here.  It's one of Yamanashi's 100 Famous Mountains.  I'm not sure why.  It's certainly not because of the view. 

It wasn't long after I left this spot that the rain came.  The rest of the day was like this.


It was quite literally like that.  When I got off the trail a few hours later, it was still raining and I changed my clothes in the woods before getting on the scooter to head home.

I hadn't driven more than 5 minutes down the hill toward Doshi Village before the rain had stopped and the temp. was over 32C (91 degrees f).  Everyone I talked to said it was a hot sunny, day without a hint of precipitation.  I really had been followed by a cloud like Charlie Brown.

Details of the hike

Start and finish:  Michizaka Tunnel on Route 24.  

Getting there:  Bike.  You could get there by bus from Okajimashokuhinkan which is a 5 minute walk from the Tsurubunkadaigakumae train station.  (Although, I'm not sure why anyone would.  The only reason I can see for doing this hike is if you are kind of O.C. about walking every trail like I am.  😂 )

Stats:  Lowest point, 1,023 m.  Highest (Mt. Mishotai) 1,681m.  Change in elevation while climbing: 1,805m up and 1,816 down.  Distance: 17.7km, just under 11 miles.  Time: 7 hours. 

Best part of the day:  I only saw two people.  

Recommendation:  Skip this trail unless you are a gourmand of hiking trails like I am.  I think my favorite mountain near this area is Mt. Shakushi which is to the west of Mishotai.  You can reach that from one of the stations in Tsurushi.  That has a kick-butt view of Fuji.

The general area:



That's all for today . . .

I'm still on vacation so I am sure I'll be out again soon.

Have a good one!