Hi Charlotte, I was wondering whether you ever did the walk to Mount Fuji? I am setting out next week from Tamagawa, Tokyo to Fuji and, looking at maps I think I can walk most of the way via Sagamihara, and along the Doshi River that ends at Lake Yamanaka. The route shows 112KM and I think I'll do it over 4 days. I see Fuji every clear day from my window and walking to it seems like a nice idea.
Mar 11, 2015 Rating
. by: Charlotte
Ah, cool! We'll do that! Thank you for the information. :-)
Mar 11, 2015 Rating
You too can be a pilgrim! :-) by: Gary Wolff
No worries, Charlotte.
As for "pilgrimage," in that case you might want to consider the historic Yoshidaguchi Climbing Trail, which starts from the northern base of Fuji-san.
The original Yoshida Climbing Route starts from the Fuji Sengen Shrine (formally known as Kitaguchi Hongu Sengen Jinja), where the pilgrims of over 500 years ago came to pray before they started their climb up the sacred mountain.
Mar 09, 2015 Rating
Thanks by: Charlotte
Ok, thank you for the answer! I think we'll go by train instead ;-) But it could be awesome if there was pathways for pedestrians all the way! Then it could be some sort of a pilgrimage. Thanks again :-)
Mar 08, 2015 Rating
Not sure, but I sure wouldn't do it. :-) by: Gary Wolff
That's a very interesting question, Charlotte. I'm not aware of anyone who's ever done that nor anyone who would even WANT to do that, :-) and I assume you already know there are paved roads only up to Mt. Fuji's four 5th Stations, not the summit.
But I'm intrigued by the challenge, and I take it you're serious, so I'll take your bait. :-)
First of all, I seriously doubt it is possible (or legal) to walk on or near many of the highways, bridges, & expressways along the way, especially out in the rural areas. There's simply no provisions for pedestrian walkways or sidewalks.
I consulted the new version of Google Maps, and they've plotted out a 133 km walking course taking 29 hr. 47 min., from the middle point of the Nihonbashi Bridge in central Tokyo to the 5th Station of the Fujinomiya route. (The Nihonbashi Bridge in central Tokyo is the Kilometer Zero point for Japan (日本国道路元標, Nipponkoku Dōro Genpyō) from which highway distances are measured from the nation's capital.) That Google Map can be viewed here: Walking route from central Tokyo to Mt. Fuji
Interestingly, the old Google Classic Maps (which I learned regrettably no longer allows you to save customized maps), :-( showed a walking route from the same starting point to the Mt. Fuji summit, via the Subashiri route, even though the final leg of that walking course is actually the "downhill" section shared by the Yoshida route, which joins the Subashiri route at the original 8th Station. That walking course from the Nihonbashi Bridge in central Tokyo to the Mt. Fuji summit was 124 km, taking 28 hours.
Also, in case you're not already aware, there are a number of foot & cycling races & trail runs up or around Mt. Fuji. One of the most fascinating is Sea-to-Summit, an endurance charity fundraising event where climbers trek 47 km all the way from the Shizuoka coastline to the summit of Mt. Fuji in under 24 hours.
One final note from Google Maps: "Walking directions are in beta. Use caution – This route may be missing sidewalks or pedestrian paths." :-)
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