 "The number of people allowed to climb the mountain via the Yoshida trail will be limited on a daily basis to 4,000 per day, and climbers will be prohibited from starting their ascent between 4 pm and 2 am. Pixabay")
Visitors to Japan’s Mount Fuji will have to pay to hike one of the iconic mountain’s routes beginning this summer. Japan has imposed the new restrictions in an effort to protect the site from overtourism, which is causing littering, overcrowding, and jeopardising hiker safety.
Here’s all about the new measures that will go into effect on 1 July, 2024.
Fees to visit Mount Fuji
The Yoshida trail is the most popular route for climbing Mount Fuji, used by more than half of those who climb it. All thanks to its convenient location from Tokyo and the abundance of mountain huts en route that provide lodging and meals. However, the convenience it offers is now costing the trail. It is increasingly congested. Now, the Yamanashi prefectural government in Japan, which oversees hiking activities at the UNESCO World Heritage site, believes the fee is necessary to protect the environment.
Hikers to climb Japan’s Mount Fuji will be charged $13 (Rs 1,077) each from July, with numbers capped to ease congestion and improve safety, a regional official said Tuesday. At present, climbers are asked to make a voluntary donation of 1,000 yen (Rs 553) to support the mountain’s upkeep.
The number of people allowed to climb the mountain via the Yoshida trail will be limited on a daily basis to 4,000 per day, and climbers will be prohibited from starting their ascent between 4 pm and 2 am, according to an ordinance approved Monday by Yamanashi region.
“After COVID restrictions were lifted, we started seeing more people. We want them to dress appropriately for the mountain and be well prepared,” Toshiaki Kasai, an official at the local government, told AFP.
“We will ask visitors to monitor social media for up-to-date information about the daily visitor count,” he added.
Hikers will still be able to use three other routes, all in neighbouring Shizuoka prefecture, for free.
Impact Shorts
More ShortsMount Fuji’s tourism problem
In 2023, a total of 221,322 climbers ascended Mount Fuji, with over half choosing to use the Yoshida trail, as per a report in Euro news. Each summer, reports in Japanese media describe tourists climbing Mount Fuji with insufficient mountaineering equipment.
Some sleep on the trail or start fires for heat, while many attempt to reach the 3,776-metre (12,388-foot) summit without breaks and become sick or injured as a result.
The active volcano has three other main routes that will remain free to climb. But the Yoshida Trail — accessed from Tokyo relatively easily — is the preferred choice for most holidaymakers, with around 60 per cent of climbers choosing that route, according to official data.
Mount Fuji is about two hours from central Tokyo by train and can be seen for miles around.
The mountain has been immortalised in countless Japanese artworks, including Hokusai’s world-famous “Great Wave”.
With inputs from AFP