Park rangers on Mount Fuji officially started this year's climbing season about 90 minutes before sunrise on Monday, levying new trail fees and limiting hiker numbers to curb overcrowding.
At 3 a.m., officials opened a newly installed gate at a station placed just over halfway up the 3,776-meter peak that is a symbol of Japan and a magnet for tourists, now swarming into the country at a record pace.
Climbers must pay 2,000 yen and their numbers will be limited to 4,000 a day after complaints of litter, pollution, and dangerously crowded trails flowed in last year.
"I think Mount Fuji will be very happy if everyone is more conscious about the environment and things like taking rubbish home with them," said Sachiko Kan, 61, who was one of about 1,200 hikers gathered on the first day of the new measures.
The yen's slide to a 38-year low has made Japan an irresistible bargain for overseas visitors. They are injecting record sums into national coffers but are also putting strains on facilities for travel and hospitality, not to mention the patience of locals.
The climbing season this year on Mount Fuji, which straddles the prefectures of Yamanashi and Shizuoka about 136 km from Tokyo, runs until September 10, after which the weather gets too cold and snowy.
About 300,000 people are estimated to make the climb each year, official figures show. Hikers typically start in the wee hours to make it to the top in time for sunrise.
For their money, climbers receive a wristband giving access to the trail between 3 a.m. and 4 p.m, excluding those with reservations for mountain huts closer to the peak, to whom the daily limit on visitors will not apply, authorities say.
The new trail curbs were necessary to prevent accidents and incidents of altitude sickness, particularly among foreign "bullet climbers", or those racing to the top, Yamanashi governor Kotaro Nagasaki said last month.
Japan should focus on attracting "higher spending visitors" over sheer numbers of people, he told a press conference.
Geoffrey Kula, one overseas climber waiting to scale Mount Fuji on opening day, took the restrictions in stride.
"This is not Disneyland," said Kula, a visitor from Boston. "Having some sort of access control system to limit the amount of potential chaos is good."
© Thomson Reuters 2024.
20 Comments
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Laguna
Was the qualifier "foreign" really necessary here?
sakurasuki
Japan now officially want to make money from tourists bread crumb.
Mirchy
I apologize for this post being off-topic, I would like to access the bus timetables to Fujinomoya 5 station, but the timetables vary from page to page and some are even out of date. Please can someone paste a page with current schedules. Thanks for the help.
ClippetyClop
Excluding the 2 Covid years, last year saw far less people climbing Fuji than since the start of the century. There were only 4 days last year when more than 4,000 people climbed the mountain compared to 19 in 2016.
2008 saw over 430,000 people climb it, twice that of last year. And in 2008 there were fewer spaces at the Yamagoyas, therefore much more 'bullet climbing' (also known as 'climbing').
A bit cheeky of them considering the tragedies that happened up there a week or so ago.
ClippetyClop
@Mirchy, try this. Japanese only I'm afraid.
https://www.shizuokabus.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/2024fujitozanbus-time.pdf
Newgirlintown
Why ‘foreign’ bullet climbers? Has someone been counting the numbers and asking people their nationality or is this just prejudiced reporting?
observerhere
I wanted to buy a ticket for climbing Mt.Fuji...pls help
Thanks
ClippetyClop
@observerhere
https://www.fujisan-climb.jp/en/news/240513_yoshida_trail_reservation_en.html?channel=main
DanteKH
What's wrong with proper bullet climbing?
If you don't want to wait for the slow pace of untrained tourists, is it called bullet climbing. Those pro climbers can do the trip up/down 3 to 4 times faster that the average Joe climbing mount Fuhi for his Instagram albums.
Mirchy
@ClippetyClop
Thanks, already saw this page. Time table is for 2019.
Thank you.
ClippetyClop
It isn't. It clearly says "2024 年度 富士宮口五合目行き路線バス時刻表" at the top.
hooktrunk2
The high altitude weather forecast. This time of year is still freaking cold if it’s windy at the top. I climbed it on July 1 in 2012. Not fun. August is way better.
https://www.mountain-forecast.com/peaks/Fuji-san/forecasts/3776
リッチ
is the photo actually real? The guy is in short pants and a light jacket. What part about prep is there. Do they have clothes on the mountaintop to rent like ski resorts.
Gene Hennigh
It seems that there are a few things that should be mentioned. Mt. Fuji is a sacred symbol in Japan. That they allow people to climb it at all is a privilege and not just a place to get in a few selfies. They are now charging close to what it is worth to climb it. The deliberate trashing of the place is disgraceful.
People negatively comment on the low yen, but now in just one place they have to pay a price for something approaching what it is worth. They don't seem to see why candy bar wrappers and other trash is all right. That being the case, control of the climbing seems to be something Japan is justified in doing.
Slayer
I climbed it twice and believe Mt. Fuji is much more beautiful from a distance.
Up close it is just an ugly volcano.
2020hindsights
sakurasuki
Climbers must pay 2,000 yen
I think the aim is to try to limit the numbers, which is good for everyone.
2020hindsights
リッチ
He's going to freeze at the top, unless he's packed warmer gear.
I don't think so.
robert maes
Mr Hennigh , is that why they shoot at MT Fuji with tanks every year ? Because it’s a sacred mountain ? Maybe they should clean it up then ? Like they do in football stadions ? Oh wait. There are camera’s then.
hooktrunk2
Yes, at the starting point, usually the 5th State, it can be quite warm, even hot in August. I was sweating. Usually you add layers as you climb. At the top, during my August climb, I was in short sleeves for a brief hour before it got cold again. But mostly it is reallllly cold.
During my July climb, I passed someone in basketball shorts and a space blanket draped over his shoulders way up near the 8th stage.
falseflagsteve
Should close it to the general public. It’s dangerous and there is too much litter.