Mt. Fuji’s summit sits at 3,776 meters. There’s no highway up — just volcanic gravel and specialized tracked vehicles. So how does Japan keep it running? Behind the hikers and iconic sunrise views is a hidden logistics operation most tourists never see: supplies for mountain huts, mail carried by hand and by machine, food, water — even vending machines — hauled up the side of Japan’s highest mountain.
I spent 4 days at the Mt. Fuji summit to find out how it actually works. Specialized tracked vehicles — known as Mt. Fuji bulldozers or crawlers — climb steep volcanic switchbacks carrying everything the mountain huts and summit facilities need to survive the short climbing season. I also joined Japan Post as they prepared and opened the seasonal post office at the very top of Mt. Fuji — one of the most remote post offices in the world. A huge thank you to Japan Post for allowing me to accompany their team during the summit post office opening and for a rare look behind the scenes most people never get.
📮 Mt. Fuji Summit Post Office / 富士山頂郵便局 Open: July 10 – August 20 Hours: 6:00 AM – 2:00 PM ✉️ Letters and postcards only — no parcels/packages
🏔️ Chojo Fujikan / 頂上富士館 A special thank you to Chojo Fujikan, the mountain hut at the summit of Mt. Fuji where I stayed while filming this episode. The hut provides overnight accommodation, meals and a much-needed place to rest at 3,700+ meters during the climbing season. If you’re planning to climb Mt. Fuji, mountain-hut reservations should be made in advance, especially during the busy summer season. From mail and mountain huts to food, water, toilets, emergency rescue, and those summit vending machines — there’s a lot happening behind the scenes to keep Mt. Fuji running during Japan’s short climbing season.
What surprised you most about how Mt. Fuji works? Let me know in the comments! Thank you for watching ONLY in JAPAN 🇯🇵 \(^_^)/~
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Chapters:
00:00 How Japan Runs Mt. Fuji
01:08 Viewing Mt. Fuji by Airplane
01:27 Mt. Fuji’s Restricted Bulldozer Supply Route
04:09 Unpacking Supplies at the Summit
06:11 How Cold is the Mt. Fuji Summit?
08:06 Japan Post High-Altitude Training
09:24 Opening the Summit Post Office
11:09 Inside the Postal Living Quarters
13:25 How Many Mountain Huts Are on Mt. Fuji?
14:10 Exclusive Tour: Inside a Mountain Hut
15:50 How Mt. Fuji Toilets Work
16:38 Eating at a Summit Restaurant
19:51 Mountain Hut Check-In Process
21:48 The Mt. Fuji Sunrise Experience
22:26 Kengamine: The True Summit
23:04 Hiking Around the Mt. Fuji Crater
24:03 Vending Machines at the Mt. Fuji Summit
25:56 Summit Doctors & Medical Evacuation
26:37 What is the Mt. Fuji Trail Actually Like?
27:26 The Mountain Hut Food Menu
28:48 What Happens if Mt. Fuji Erupts?
29:23 Testing 4G/5G Speeds at the Summit
29:44 The Yoshida Route (5th Station)
30:42 The Fujinomiya Route (5th Station)
31:01 The Descent: Leaving the Mountain
