YAMANASHI - Large numbers of climbers headed to Mount Fuji on July 22 despite disaster-level heat that pushed temperatures to 40 degrees Celsius or higher in parts of Japan, while a series of rescues highlighted the risks of exhaustion, inadequate footwear and hypothermia during the peak summer climbing season.
Near the sixth station, one foreign climber removed his shirt because of the heat. "It's hot. I'll put it back on in 20 minutes," he said.
Entry checks have been conducted since 2025 to discourage climbers from attempting the mountain without sufficient equipment. The man was carrying required gear in his bag, including a two-piece rain suit.
Another foreign climber encountered trouble when his sneakers broke during the ascent and made emergency repairs using a bandage and a plastic shopping bag.
More than 200,000 people are expected to climb Mount Fuji in the summer of 2026, similar to the number recorded in 2025.
Rescue incidents have continued, however. A 75-year-old man became unable to walk because of exhaustion on July 22 and was rescued by a mountain rescue team.
Climbers also need to be prepared for the sharp difference in temperature between the mountain and lower elevations, even during summer.
Footage filmed near the ninth station two summers ago showed a group of Indonesian climbers curled up against the cold while attempting an overnight ascent without staying at a mountain hut. One member of the group later lost consciousness from hypothermia. The climber recovered after receiving treatment from a mountain rescue team, and the entire group descended safely.
Temperatures are generally believed to fall by about 0.6 degree Celsius for every 100 meters of elevation gained. The difference between Mount Fuji's fifth station and the summit is about 9 degrees during the day and nearly 13 degrees at night.
"At the summit, temperatures will probably fall below 10 degrees, and around dawn they can reach 4 or 5 degrees, which is like winter," said Toru Saegusa of Yamanashi Prefecture's Mount Fuji Tourism Promotion Group. "The wind is also strong, so warm clothing is essential."
Attention is also turning to the growing number of older people climbing Mount Fuji.
One 72-year-old climber said, "Mount Fuji is Japan's highest mountain, so I thought I should climb it at least once." An 81-year-old said he began climbing after retiring at age 60 and hoped to continue until he was 85.
Rescue cases involving elderly climbers have increased.
At around noon on July 20, a Shizuoka Prefectural Police mountain rescue team found an 84-year-old man immobilized by exhaustion near the new seventh station on the Fujinomiya route. Rescuers carried him on their backs to the fifth station.
A 99-year-old woman was also rescued on July 17 after falling and suffering an injury. She rested at a mountain hut but abandoned her attempt to continue climbing.
According to the National Police Agency, about half of all people involved in mountain accidents in 2025 were climbers aged 60 or older. The number of climbers in their 80s who became involved in accidents was about 1.4 times higher than five years earlier.
Older climbers aiming for the summit said they were taking precautions based on their age and physical condition.
A 69-year-old man said he had brought two bottles of water but believed that might still be insufficient. "You climb differently from when you were young," he said. "I used to be able to carry a heavy load, but I can't anymore. It will probably be below 10 degrees near the summit, so I brought a down jacket."
A 76-year-old man said he was carrying salted sweet bean jelly because climbers need to replenish salt.
An 81-year-old man who has reached the summit 11 times since turning 60 urged climbers to recognize their physical limits. "There is less oxygen higher up, so you can suffer from oxygen deprivation," he said. "If you feel your physical strength is not enough, I want you to stop climbing."
Source: FNN
