Mount Fuji Climbers Will Be Charged 4,000 Yen Starting Summer Amid Density Concerns

Mount Fuji climbing route. (Wikimedia Commons/Fabio Achilli)

JAKARTA - Climbers using four hiking trails on Mount Fuji will be charged 4,000 yen starting next summer, after Shizuoka Prefectural Government's plan was approved by the local people's representative council on Monday.

The move taken by Shizuoka Prefecture comes after Yamanashi Prefecture, which manages the most common hiking trails, said it would double the cost of climbing to 4,000 yen for climbers to a peak as high as 3,776 meters starting this summer, amid concerns over population density and its impact on the environment. , quoted from Kyodo News March 17.

Shizuoka Prefectural Council also approved regulations to limit access to three hiking trails from 14.00 to 03.00 to prevent last night's "squeezers", or try to reach Japan's top of the highest mountain without rest. This regulation will take effect on May 9, before the climbing season begins in July.

Shizuoka Prefecture manages the Fujinomiya, Gotemba and Subashiri routes. Meanwhile, Yamanashi Prefecture manages the Yoshida route.

Access to the hiking trail after 14.00 is only allowed for those who have booked lodging at mountain inns. Staff will be placed at the 5th station of the line to confirm the payments that have been made.

Revenue from climbing costs will be used to cover staff costs and security measures.

Along with that, the prefecture will stop asking for donations of 1,000 yen from climbers who were previously used to help maintain the mountain.

It is known, Mount Fuji, which was designated the UNESCO World Cultural Heritage site in 2013, attracts hundreds of thousands of climbers every year during its official climbing season until September.