Japan will start an entrance fee of 4,000 (or about £ 20) for all four Mount Fuji main routes to start tackling overpopulation this summer.
Previously, only the Yoshida route in Yamanashi -Prefecture had a $ 2,000 (or about £ 10) fee. Now Shizuoka Prefecture will also pay for its three routes, which used to be free. Shizuoka is home to three of Mount Fuji’s four main climbing routes – Fujinomiya, Subashiri and Gotemba.
The entry fee is charged from this summer after the local authorities approved a bill on Monday, The Japan Times reported. The access fee of Yoshida Trail will double.
The iconic mountain of Japan has had an increase in tourists over the past few years, which raises concerns about overpopulation, pollution and disruptive behavior by tourists.
Last year, Japan began collecting access fees of ¥ 22 (£ 10) per head of people climbing onto the famous volcano to limit the number of tractors to Mount Fuji. A gate was installed at the entrance to the Yoshida route, also known as the fifth station, on the Yamanashi side of Mount Fuji, which stands at 3.776 m.
The gate began collecting the climbers who began from July 1 last year, which was the beginning of the year’s climbing season.
The implementation of this fee collection was aimed at running overpopulation near the top of the mountain, the Yamanashi -Prefecture meeting said at the time.
Climbers had to assign as much as ¥ 3,000 (or £ 15.60) per person for their climb, which includes a voluntary contribution of ¥ 1,000 (or £ 5) dedicated to the mountain’s conservation efforts, recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
For the 2024 season, until mid-September, the newly installed gate also worked with limited hours, closed at 4pm and reopened the next day at 3am.
Partly due to the new restrictions implemented last year, the number of climbers on Mount Fuji fell to 204.316 last year from 221.322 in 2023, according to the data from the Ministry of the Ministry.
Although it remains under pre-pandemic levels, officials notice that “200,000 hikers are still large,” officials say.
Natsuko Sodeyama, an official of the Shizuoka prefecture, said: ‘There is no other mountain in Japan that attracts many people in the period of just over two months. Some restrictions are therefore needed to ensure its safety. “
Mount Fuji has been a sacred ground for Shinto and Buddhist pilgrims for centuries, with a sanctuary at his top devoted to Konohanasakuya-Hime, the Shinto goddess of the mountain.
Last year, the city of Fujikwaguchiko in Yamanashi installed a large black screen next to a sidewalk to hinder a large view of Mount Fuji. The Black Mesh screen was installed after the residents became frustrated with foreign tourists who envisaged the traffic rules to violate, violate and violate the perfect social media photo.
The official climbing season runs from July to September, with more than 200,000 hikers trying the top annually. Many people make the overnight pull to see the sunrise of the peak.
According to World History Encyclopedia, Mount Fuji’s dream is considered a sign of happiness in Japan. In addition to the sanctuaries on the mountain itself, more than 13,000 shrines in Japan are devoted to MT Fuji. Many have small -scale replicas of the mountain, which make those who cannot climb into the right peak, make a symbolic pilgrimage.
