Climbing limits to be implemented on Mount Fuji to address overcrowding
The new rules will apply to the Yoshida Trail on the Yamanashi side of the 3,776-metre-high mountain that was designated a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage site in 2013.
In a move to counter overcrowding and littering, a Climbing limits has been set up on Mount Fuji. The enthusiasts who want to climb the iconic Mount Fuji of Japan will have to book a slot and pay a fee of 2000 yen which equals 18 US dollars.
New Climbing Limits Implemented for Mount Fuji’s Yoshida Trail:
The new rules will apply to the Yoshida Trail on the Yamanashi side of the 3,776-metre-high mountain that was designated a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage site in 2013. The climbing season will start from 1 July to 10 September.
According to a statement by Yamanashi prefecture, only 4,000 climbers will be allowed to climb the mountain each day out of which 3,000 slots can be booked online and the remaining 1,000 can be booked in person on the day of climb.
The climbers have the option to book their slot from the Mount Fuji Climbing website, jointly run by the Environment Ministry and the mountain’s two home prefectures, Yamanashi and Shizuoka. The climbers will also have an option to donate to the conservation.
The climber will be given an option to choose between a day hike or an overnight stay where they will accommodated at several available huts along the trail. The climbers without an overnight hut will be sent down and not allowed to climb between 4 p.m. and 3 a.m. This is to stop “bullet climbing”, or rushing without adequate rest, which can risk the climber’s life.
According to the Environment Ministry, in 2023 the total number of Mount Fuji climbers was 221,322. This number is very close to that of 2019 (pre-pandemic year) and this year the number is expected to rise even more.
A few weeks ago, a town in Shizuoka installed a huge black screen on a sidewalk to obstruct a view of Mount Fuji. This was done because tourists were crowding the area to snap photos with the mountain as a background to a convenience store, which is a social media phenomenon known as “Mount Fuji Lawson” This overcrowding has been disrupting business, traffic and local life.
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