Mount Mitsutoge: Routes, the 2026 Trail Closure, and Autumn at the Foot

Fuji Five Lakes · Hiking

By Nobu · Published September 2026 · Route status and access checked September 2026 against the prefecture, town and transport sources linked at the end. I visited the lower Nishikatsura approach on 16 November 2025 and did not climb to the summit; the route descriptions below come from official guidance, the photographs from that morning.

Mount Mitsutoge (1,785 m) is the classic Mt. Fuji viewing climb: a summit facing the mountain across the Kawaguchiko valley, with the shortest route fitting into half a day. In 2026 it carries one big caveat: the hiking section above Haha-no-Shirataki on the Kawaguchiko side has been closed since 29 June, after the 26 June earthquake, with no reopening date announced. This guide compares the main approaches, explains the published closure, and shows what the foot of the mountain looked like on 16 November 2025.

Three main approaches — and the closed one

Mitsutoge has three main approaches, and they suit different people. The times below are standard ascent times from the official hiking guidance; add your own margin.

The practical upshot: for the shortest climb, start from the Misaka side — that one can fit into half a day. For the traditional mountain-of-faith approach with a train station at the bottom, start from Nishikatsura, and give it a full hiking day: the walk from the station to Darumaishi takes about 70 minutes before the climbing starts. Mitsutoge is commonly described as three peaks — Kaiun-zan (1,785 m), Osutaka-yama (1,775 m) and Kinashi-yama (1,732 m) — with Kaiun-zan the highest.

Autumn at the foot: the Shinrei-no-taki walking path, dated

The colour on this mountain runs on two clocks. The town’s foliage guide puts the summit area in late October, and the lower forest — Ikoi-no-Mori and the Shinrei-no-taki walking path (神鈴の滁遊歩道, Shinrei) — in early-to-mid November.

On 16 November 2025 I walked that lower stretch, in Nishikatsura’s Shimogurechi district below Darumaishi, and the maples were at full colour, with larch going gold above them.

This matters for one reason: you do not need to climb the mountain to get its autumn. The walking path leaves the road into a ravine of maples above the stream, and on my mid-November morning I had the colour largely to myself. If the summit is not in your plans, the lower path still gives you the season — every photograph in this article was taken there.

Summit season late October by the town’s guide — and the trailhead maples were still burning on 16 November.

Getting there and getting up

For the Nishikatsura side, Fujikyu Railway’s Mitsutoge Station is the gateway. The town’s route guide leads you up through the Shimogurechi neighbourhood — about 20 minutes to the Green Center, another 50 to Darumaishi — so budget roughly 70 minutes of walk-in before the trail proper.

For the Misaka side, there is a bus from Kawaguchiko Station towards the Mitsutoge-tozanguchi stop — check Fujikyu Bus’s current timetable for your date, and note that Mitsutoge-iriguchi is a different stop — or go by car or taxi for more flexibility.

The climb itself is a proper hike, not a stroll: mountain footwear, water, warm layers — the summit stands roughly 800–950 m above the Fuji Five Lakes — and in November, daylight discipline: sunset comes before 17:00, so start early and plan to finish well before it. In winter the upper trail holds snow and ice.

What to pair it with

Everything else the mountain’s neighbourhood does — lakes, villages, transport — lives in the Mt. Fuji hub, and if you are timing a wider trip around colour, see how Japan’s autumn actually moves.

Frequently asked questions

Sources