[10th JFBFE Exchange Meeting] A "Sunrise Climbing Tour" to the World Heritage Site, Mt. Fuji, was held!

The 10th JFBFE Exchange Meeting was held on July 9th and 10th as a "Mount Fuji Climbing Tour" !

This is the second time that our association has taken on the challenge of climbing Mount Fuji, a World Heritage Site .

The participants were 10 people in total, including 6 members working in the specific skills sector and 4 employees of our association.

Unfortunately, one person had to drop out midway through the climb, but we'd like to share with you the amazing views we all saw and the climb itself!

Departure ~ To Mount Fuji's 5th Station

Meet at the west exit of Shinjuku Station at 7am.

Despite the early hour, everyone gathered on time.

After that, we took a bus for about 3 hours, stopping at service areas along the way to reach the Yoshidaguchi 5th Station of Mt. Fuji!

The air was already thin at the fifth station, 2,300m above sea level , so we picked up our rental items, changed clothes, and took a break for about an hour to acclimatize to the high altitude.

For lunch, the warm udon and curry served at the mountain hut were very popular!

Start of the climb ~ Head to the 8th station mountain hut

At 11:30, we started climbing to the summit with our mountain guide !

To prevent altitude sickness, we will increase our altitude step by step, making sure to hydrate slowly and frequently.

Along the way, we were encouraged by the spectacular views visible through gaps in the clouds and the alpine plants that had begun to bloom, and we arrived at the mountain hut at the 8th station around 5:30 in the evening .

For dinner, we had a curry and hamburger set. The warm meal warmed our tired bodies. We took a nap in our sleeping bags on the bunk beds, preparing for our summit assault in the early hours of the morning.

Late-night mountain climbing - sunrise at the summit

We set off just before 2am under a starry sky.

A line of headlights illuminating the darkness continues like a river of light.

We encourage each other and move forward step by step...

And finally, at 4am, we reached the summit !!!

The eastern sky began to turn orange, and soon the golden sun appeared.

Participants were heard saying things like , "It's a memory that will last a lifetime," and "I'm glad I climbed it!" Fatigue, a sense of accomplishment, and an emotion that is hard to put into words filled the room.

Descending the mountain and finishing off with a soak in a hot spring

After enjoying the sunrise, we had breakfast and started our descent around 6:30am.

When we returned to the fifth station, we relaxed and soothed our fatigue by washing away the sweat in a hot spring near Lake Kawaguchi.

We arrived back in Shinjuku safely around 5pm.

All the participants were left with a lingering impression of the breathtaking view from Mt. Fuji, which made them think, "This is Japan!" It was truly a tour that will become a memory of a lifetime!

Thank you very much to everyone who participated!

At the next JFBFE networking event, we hope to provide an experience that will make foreigners working with specific skills "love life in Japan even more!"