Last updated on September 25th, 2026 at 09:40 am
Shizuoka to Require Climbers to Submit Plans for Off-Season Mount Fuji Climbs
Shizuoka Prefecture is preparing new measures for people who attempt to climb Mount Fuji outside the official climbing season, including a requirement to submit a climbing plan before starting their ascent.
The new system is expected to begin in autumn 2027 and is intended to reduce accidents involving climbers who venture onto Japan's highest mountain when conditions are considerably more difficult than during the summer climbing season.
The prefecture is also considering measures that could make some off-season climbers responsible for the cost of rescue operations, as authorities on both sides of Mount Fuji respond to an increase in poorly prepared climbers becoming stranded on the mountain.
New Rules Planned for Off-Season Climbers
Shizuoka Governor Yasutomo Suzuki announced the plans on September 18 during a prefectural assembly session. Under the proposed system, people intending to climb Mount Fuji during the closed season would have to submit details of their planned ascent in advance.
The requirement is being introduced as authorities seek to obtain more information about who is attempting off-season climbs and whether they have made appropriate preparations for the conditions they are likely to encounter.
The prefecture has not yet provided all of the details of how the notification system will operate. Further consideration will be required before the new rules take effect in autumn 2027.
Officials are also examining how the information submitted by climbers could be used to improve safety and coordinate responses when people encounter difficulties on the mountain.
Mount Fuji's Official Climbing Season Has Ended
Mount Fuji's official climbing season runs during the summer, when the main trails and facilities are available to climbers. On the Shizuoka side, the official season ended on September 10 this year.
Outside the official season, conditions on the 3,776-metre mountain can become much more severe. Temperatures can fall sharply, snow and ice can make trails hazardous, and strong winds can create dangerous conditions near the summit.
Mountain huts and other facilities that support climbers during the summer are also generally closed during the off-season. First-aid facilities are unavailable, while toilets on the mountain cannot be relied upon.
The official Mount Fuji climbing website therefore strongly discourages climbing outside the regular season. Its guidelines state that people attempting an off-season ascent must be fully prepared for the conditions and submit a mountain climbing plan.
Authorities Concerned About Unprepared Climbers
The new Shizuoka measures come after a series of incidents involving people who attempted to climb Mount Fuji outside the official season and subsequently needed assistance.
Some off-season climbers have become stranded after encountering difficult weather or trail conditions. Rescue operations can be particularly challenging during the winter months because of the mountain environment and the risks faced by rescue personnel themselves.
The authorities' concern is not simply the number of people attempting to climb the mountain. It is also whether those climbers have the equipment, experience and preparation necessary to deal with conditions at high altitude.
The official Mount Fuji guidance makes a distinction between properly prepared mountaineers and casual hikers. People who are not adequately equipped or experienced are strongly advised not to climb above the fifth station outside the official season.
Climbing Plans Are Already Part of Fuji Guidance
The idea of requiring an off-season climbing plan is not entirely new. Mount Fuji's existing safety guidelines already call on climbers attempting an ascent outside the summer season to create and submit a mountain climbing plan.
Those guidelines are intended to help reduce accidents and ensure that people understand the additional responsibilities involved in attempting an off-season climb.
Fully prepared climbers are also expected to carry their own portable toilets because the mountain's regular toilet facilities are unavailable outside the climbing season. They must take their waste back down the mountain with them.
The proposed Shizuoka system would give these requirements a more formal administrative framework, with climbers expected to notify authorities before undertaking their ascent.
Yamanashi Is Introducing Similar Measures
Shizuoka is not the only prefecture tightening its approach to off-season Mount Fuji climbing. The mountain straddles both Shizuoka and neighbouring Yamanashi Prefecture, and authorities on the two sides have been discussing measures to reduce accidents.
Yamanashi announced earlier in September that it plans to charge some climbers for helicopter rescue operations during the off-season. The system is expected to begin in autumn 2027.
Yamanashi is also introducing a system requiring people to submit notifications before climbing to higher parts of the mountain during the closed season.
Under the planned approach, climbers who submit the required information and demonstrate that they have taken appropriate safety precautions could have rescue charges reduced or waived if they later require assistance.
The precise cost of Yamanashi's helicopter rescue operations has not yet been established. Officials have indicated that the system in neighbouring Saitama Prefecture, where mountain rescue helicopter operations can cost about 8,000 yen for every five minutes, could serve as a reference.
Shizuoka Is Also Considering Rescue Charges
Shizuoka has not yet decided whether to introduce a similar system for charging climbers who require helicopter rescue during the off-season.
Governor Suzuki said the prefecture would consider measures including charging hikers for operations involving disaster-prevention helicopters. The issue will be examined alongside the new climbing-plan requirement and other safety measures.
The prefecture is also expected to coordinate with Yamanashi and other organisations because the two prefectures share responsibility for managing Mount Fuji and dealing with the problems created by off-season climbing.
Any rescue-charge system would have to take account of the circumstances surrounding an incident, including whether a climber had followed the required procedures and taken appropriate precautions before setting out.
Why Off-Season Mount Fuji Climbing Is Dangerous
Mount Fuji's appearance can make an ascent seem relatively straightforward during periods of good weather, but conditions outside the official season are very different from those experienced during summer.
The upper slopes can be covered with snow and ice, while strong winds can make movement extremely difficult. Weather can also change quickly at high altitude, leaving climbers exposed to conditions that they may not have anticipated when they began their ascent.
The lack of operating mountain huts creates another significant difference. During the official season, climbers have access to accommodation, food, toilets and other services at various points on the mountain.
Those services are largely unavailable during the closed season. Anyone making an off-season ascent therefore needs to carry the equipment and supplies necessary to deal with the conditions independently.
The official Mount Fuji climbing website says that people climbing outside the summer season must be fully prepared and should carry equipment appropriate for severe winter conditions. It also states that climbers should carry their own portable toilets and remove their waste from the mountain.
Rescue Operations Can Put Crews at Risk
One of the reasons authorities are seeking to discourage poorly prepared off-season climbs is the danger involved in rescuing people who become stranded.
A rescue on Mount Fuji can require emergency personnel to operate in the same difficult conditions that caused a climber to get into trouble. Winter weather, snow, ice, high winds and poor visibility can make an operation more complicated.
Helicopters can also be limited by weather conditions. When an aircraft cannot safely reach a location, ground crews may have to deal with the situation instead.
The authorities' argument is therefore that an individual's decision to climb outside the official season can create risks not only for the climber but also for the people who may later be called upon to rescue them.
The New System Will Apply to the Shizuoka Side
Mount Fuji has four main climbing routes, with the Subashiri, Gotemba and Fujinomiya trails located on the Shizuoka side and the Yoshida Trail located in Yamanashi.
Shizuoka's new notification requirement will form part of the prefecture's management of off-season climbing on its side of the mountain. Yamanashi is developing its own measures for the northern side.
The different systems reflect the administrative structure of Mount Fuji, but the two prefectures are increasingly coordinating their approach because climbers can face the same severe mountain conditions regardless of which route they use.
The aim is to reduce the number of people attempting the mountain without adequate preparation while ensuring that authorities have better information about off-season climbers.
Rules Have Already Changed During the Summer
The new off-season proposals come after several years of changes to Mount Fuji's climbing rules during the official summer season as authorities have tried to deal with overcrowding and safety problems.
Yamanashi introduced a climbing fee and other restrictions on the Yoshida Trail in 2024, including a daily limit of 4,000 climbers. Shizuoka introduced similar measures on its side of the mountain in 2025.
Those measures were primarily aimed at managing congestion and discouraging so-called bullet climbing, in which people attempt to climb through the night without staying at a mountain hut.
The off-season measures address a different problem. Instead of dealing primarily with the number of people on the mountain, authorities are concerned about climbers entering an environment where normal summer support services are unavailable and weather conditions can be considerably more severe.
More Than 240,000 People Climbed Mount Fuji This Summer
Mount Fuji continues to attract large numbers of climbers despite the restrictions introduced in recent years. Preliminary Environment Ministry figures indicated that around 245,000 people used the mountain's four principal trails during the 2026 climbing season.
The figure was higher than the number recorded in 2023, before the current restrictions were introduced, and also exceeded the totals recorded in 2018 and 2019.
The high number of summer climbers demonstrates the continuing popularity of Japan's highest mountain, but the authorities' concern about off-season climbing is focused on a smaller group of people attempting ascents when the mountain's normal infrastructure has closed.
The difference between the two situations is important. During the official season, routes are staffed and facilities are available, while off-season climbers are expected to operate with much greater independence.
Plans Expected to Take Effect in Autumn 2027
Shizuoka's requirement for off-season climbing plans is expected to begin in autumn 2027. The prefecture will continue working on the details before the system comes into effect.
Officials are also considering whether additional measures, including charges for some rescue operations, should be introduced. Any such system would be developed alongside discussions with Yamanashi Prefecture and other organisations involved in Mount Fuji management.
For climbers considering an ascent outside the official season, the direction of travel is becoming increasingly clear. Authorities on both sides of Mount Fuji are placing greater emphasis on advance notification, preparation and personal responsibility.
Mount Fuji remains accessible to experienced mountaineers under the relevant off-season safety guidelines, but authorities strongly discourage casual or inadequately prepared climbs outside the official season.
The new Shizuoka rules are intended to give authorities greater oversight of those attempts and reduce the likelihood of climbers becoming stranded in dangerous conditions. With Yamanashi developing similar measures and considering charges for some helicopter rescues, off-season climbing on Mount Fuji is set to become subject to significantly greater scrutiny from autumn 2027.
