The first iconic image that comes to mind when I think of Japan is Mt. Fuji.  This famous volcano is very picturesque with it's snow capped peak and beautiful surroundings.  This is the tallest mountain in Japan, so if you are adventurous, how could you not conquer this beast. It's a fantastic story to tell friends and the view from the top is indescribable.

Fuji has a season for hiking and it is rapidly approaching.  The peak season is mid June to August.  It's can get pretty crowded too.  If you have not considered hiking it, I would reconsider and start planning the adventure soon.  I had the pleasure of slaying this dragon last July and had no regrets.   The thing to do is hike it at night and reach the top just before dawn to catch the sunrise.

My friends and I took a taxi to the highest station possible.  Here we bought our Fuji stick.  This is an excellent souvenir.  It's a hiking stick that they burn a symbol into at ever station up the mountain.  We set out at about noon.  We reached the top about 5 pm and suffered from terrible sunburns and headaches. The hike itself is not very difficult and it's not very beautiful.  I remember seeing a guy with one leg, little kids, as well as old people.  They all made it, no problem.  So even if you smoke or are out of shape there is hope for you.

My crew and I stayed at the top in a cabin, which can be expensive.  They give you a small Japanese meal of rice and miso soup.  You have to sleep in small area with about 40 other people in the room.  Being a foreigner I was taller than most so my feet were hitting the person on the other side of me.  I did not sleep very well because of limited space and the terrible headache I had due to the lack of oxygen.  We woke up with everyone else before dawn and stumbled outside.  We then had  to fight for a spot on the mountain to see the sun just peak over the clouds.  This breathtaking view made it all worth while.  Then after taking hundreds of pictures we set out down a different side of the mountain to get a different view.  The way down is much faster, it took about 3 hours.  

There's a Japanese saying "a wise man climbs Mt. Fuji once, a fool does it twice."  I completely agree with this saying.  The view is worth it all, but I would not suffer it all again.  So if I have convinced you to accomplish this task here's some advice and a good website to check out.

Here's what you'll need for the adventure.

• lots of sunscreen
• at least 2L of water per person
• some good food to provide calories to burn (calorie mates, onigiri, bananas, hard boiled eggs)
• good boots preferred or sturdy shoes (they will get extremely dirty)
• a good flashlight, a headlight is preferred to free up your hands
• precautionary O2 tablets and an O2 can
• a good jacket to stay warm at the top
• a good camera
• a backpack to carry it all in

Don't forget to read the other advice for Newbies in Japan.