Probably one of the coolest things I did in Japan was to hike the epic Mt. Fuji to watch the sunrise.
It was pretty brutal going up, not so much the elevation or difficulty, but more the fact that you start around 8pm and hike in the dark overnight when you're supposed to be fast asleep. There are tons of people on the trail and my friends and I got to meet lots of new and interesting people from all over the world which was an awesome part of the experience!
The elevation does get quite high and some people carry portable oxygen with them in case they start to experience altitude sickness. You also definitely need some snacks, water, and a flashlight or headlamp. Bring some good friends to keep you company and make the time pass quickly! Weirdly enough there are some shops and ryoken (traditional Japanese accommodation) along the trail, so if you need to call it a night half way up, you can crash for a while. At the top there's also shops with some delicious soba and matcha ice cream waiting to reward your hard work!
Watching the sunrise was so incredibly beautiful and surprisingly peaceful in spite of the mass crowds. It makes it all worth it.
The way down sucks. It sucks big time. It's a scree slope of switch-backs. just loose rock and dust and an angle that means sore knees for days. Definitely bring a mask for the dust or something to cover your mouth and nose, especially if it's been dry weather.
All in all though, it's definitely an accomplishment and is full of such great memories for me :)
View from the top!
Traffic jam!
The long way down...
The downside of cheap shoes on a 9 hour hike...
Hope you enjoyed!