Ikeda Kan

Lodging-only mountain hut at 3,250m at the eighth station of the Omote-Fujinomiya route up Mount Fuji, in Shizuoka Prefecture. Hakone and the Izu peninsula lie straight ahead and the Boso peninsula to the east, with seas of cloud and the shadow of Fuji changing the view with the weather; it is well known as a place to wait for sunrise. The summit is an hour and a half to two hours further on, which makes it a natural place to break the climb. Next door is the only clinic on the Fujinomiya route, with a doctor in residence from mid-July to mid-August. Sleeping space is shared as standard, with two- or three-person private rooms available for a surcharge. Dinner is home-made curry, and guests who book breakfast are handed a set of two bread rolls, coffee milk and a nutrition bar the evening before. Because the hut only takes overnight guests, it sells no lunches and does not serve as a rest house, stocking only light items such as bread, snacks and drinks; it also sells no hot water and stores no luggage. There is a charging area, but chargers and cables must be brought. Lights go out at 20:00 and the last checkout is 7:00 the next morning, with even multi-night guests checking out with their bags at 7:00. Guests taking dinner must complete reception by 18:00, and reception is only possible once the whole party has arrived.