Gates have been installed on Japan’s tallest peak, Mount Fuji, for the first time amid concerns of overcrowding, “bullet climbing” without rest, and environmental damage.
From July 1, the start of climbing season, gates at the fifth station of the Yoshida Trail will be used to limit the number of climbers to 4,000 daily. Each person will be required to pay a hiking fee of 2,000 yen (US$11.70) and the gates will be closed from 16.00 to 03.00.
Gates have been installed at the fifth station of the Yoshida Trail to limit the number of daily climbers
The optional donation of 1,000 yen to support the peak’s conservation, which was introduced in July 2013, will still be accepted.
In addition, “optimisation rangers” will be deployed to ensure visitors behave safely and responsibly while on the mountain.
Yamanashi Prefectural governor Kotaro Nagasaki said the prefecture is introducing the measures to protect climbers and the mountain, whose Yoshida Trail attracted 137,236 climbers from early July to mid-September 2023.
“The number of people climbing Mount Fuji has recovered to pre-pandemic levels and last year we saw excessive crowds as well as ‘bullet climbers’ who go straight to the top,” he said, pointing out the risk of “domino-effect accidents” as well as an increased likelihood of altitude sickness and hyperthermia for those who climb without taking breaks.
In 2023, there were also more cases of people sleeping or setting bonfires by the trail rather than stay at one of several huts on the way to the summit, he said.
Yamanashi Prefecture’s efforts aim to address the three issues pointed out by UNESCO when the peak was added to the World Heritage List as a cultural property in 2013, namely: too many climbers, too much artificial landscape such as car parks, and too high an environmental load.
“We have not done anything over the past 10 years to address these issues. We’re worried that if we continue along our current trajectory, Mount Fuji will lose its UNESCO status,” said Nagasaki, adding that limiting the number of climbers will not only protect climbers and the mountain but also “raise the satisfaction of people on the mountain at any one time”.
Gates have been installed on Japan’s tallest peak, Mount Fuji, for the first time amid concerns of overcrowding, “bullet climbing” without rest, and environmental damage.
From July 1, the start of climbing season, gates at the fifth station of the Yoshida Trail will be used to limit the number of climbers to 4,000 daily. Each person will be required to pay a hiking fee of 2,000 yen (US$11.70) and the gates will be closed from 16.00 to 03.00.
The optional donation of 1,000 yen to support the peak’s conservation, which was introduced in July 2013, will still be accepted.
In addition, “optimisation rangers” will be deployed to ensure visitors behave safely and responsibly while on the mountain.
Yamanashi Prefectural governor Kotaro Nagasaki said the prefecture is introducing the measures to protect climbers and the mountain, whose Yoshida Trail attracted 137,236 climbers from early July to mid-September 2023.
“The number of people climbing Mount Fuji has recovered to pre-pandemic levels and last year we saw excessive crowds as well as ‘bullet climbers’ who go straight to the top,” he said, pointing out the risk of “domino-effect accidents” as well as an increased likelihood of altitude sickness and hyperthermia for those who climb without taking breaks.
In 2023, there were also more cases of people sleeping or setting bonfires by the trail rather than stay at one of several huts on the way to the summit, he said.
Yamanashi Prefecture’s efforts aim to address the three issues pointed out by UNESCO when the peak was added to the World Heritage List as a cultural property in 2013, namely: too many climbers, too much artificial landscape such as car parks, and too high an environmental load.
“We have not done anything over the past 10 years to address these issues. We’re worried that if we continue along our current trajectory, Mount Fuji will lose its UNESCO status,” said Nagasaki, adding that limiting the number of climbers will not only protect climbers and the mountain but also “raise the satisfaction of people on the mountain at any one time”.