I’m planning on doing a two day hike of Fuji some time in the first three weeks of August during a three week trip to Japan but have some questions about logistics and would love some input from anyone who’s done it. The rough plan right now is to begin at the 5th station on the Subashiri trail in the morning, stay in a hut overnight, and hike to the summit for sunrise. Here are my questions:
* What dates should I avoid?
* When is Obon? I’m seeing different dates for when this will be celebrated in 2023
* Any other public holidays or dates that will be especially crowded?
* Where to store our luggage
* It seems like our options are to:
* Overlap a hotel stay with our night on Fuji so we can leave our luggage in our room.
* Find a locker somewhere?
* Splurge on a rental car where we can leave our luggage overnight. This would also mean we’re not dependent on the bus schedule. I’m not sure how I feel about driving in Japan and would appreciate any advice on whether it’s a bad idea for someone who can’t read Japanese and hasn’t driven on the left before.
* When and where to make our hut reservation
* When should I expect huts to be booked up by?
* I’d also appreciate recommendations for huts on the Subashiri trail with websites that can take reservations online or over the phone in English. A bonus would be a hut with private accommodations (my hiking partner is very tall and I’m worried the bunks will be too cramped for us).
Thanks so much!
![[Itinerary Check] 5 full days in Tokyo](https://www.lonelyjapan.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/Egm7fa69ta54oybVQpgRQZsY95BmmG_gEJpz0zudBEc-380x220.jpg)
5 comments
**Just a reminder that our FAQ is being updated with more information and you can start** [**here**](https://www.reddit.com/r/JapanTravel/wiki/faqs/japantravel) **with regards to trip planning if you need tips, or have questions about planning your travel to Japan.**
Thank you!
*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/JapanTravel) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Hi!
I can’t answer your questions on the actual hike but can maybe answer a few of the other questions.
Most of August is a school vacation time for the Japanese. It’s their Summer holiday and so in general things will be more crowded. Please see Japan Guide August 2023 for events:
[https://www.japan-guide.com/event/](https://www.japan-guide.com/event/)
I would avoid August 11-13 because that is the National Holiday, Mountain Day, and climbing Mt. Fuji seems like something a lot of people would want to do said day.
I’ve rented a car in Japan. Driving on the opposite side of the road was easier than I thought and many areas have road signs with English or at least romanji. However, I would ask, where do you plan to park your car while you climb Mt. Fuji?
I don’t know where you are staying previously in Tokyo but some accommodations will hold bags for you if you’re going back there and if you’re not going back, then just use TakQbin to send your bags from Tokyo to your next destination for whatever day you arrive there.
Good luck!
I climbed mt fuji over 20 years ago but i don’t imagine much has changed. Be prepared for freezing temperatures at the top even though at sea level it will likely be around 35 degrees celsius. Also if you sleep over in a hut get an early start to head to the top for the sunrise or you will be seeing that sunrise while in a huge line of people inching their way towards the summit. An alternative is to hike during the night and time it so you reach the top about an hour before sunrise. Keep in mind you will need very warm clothes for this. Also bring your own snacks and water as everything on mt fuji is very expensive.
Obon is celebrated on the 15th in the 7th month of the lunar calendar. Usually that’s mapped to 8/15 but some regions celebrate on 7/15 instead. But celebrations usually last several days, 13th-16th. There is no 2023 date as the date is fixed.
But as others have said, it’s also the summer holiday season, one of the three yearly peak times. Expect Obon week and the week before to be busy, with increased ticket and hotel room prices.
My son, husband and I hiked in early July, like maybe July 2 & 3rd back in 2019. We spent the night in a ryokan and made our way to the bus station. We stored our luggage in lockers there. We did the 2 day climb through a tour recommended by National Geographic. The guides were kind, knowledgeable and very caring of everyone regardless of fitness level