Yamanashi to Impose Fee for Mount Fuji Climbers

Yamanashi to Impose Fee for Mount Fuji Climbers

By the Yamanashi Prefectural Government
For The North American Post

Restrict Trail Access to Combat Overtourism daily admission cap and hours aim to reduce congestion and preserve the integrity of the UNESCO World Cultural Heritage site. Beginning July 1, people climbing Mount Fuji via Yamanashi’s Fujiyoshidaguchi Trail (“Yoshida Route”) will be required to pay a 2,000-yen (equiv. $13 USD) trail entry fee. Yamanashi will install a trail gate for admission at the mountain’s Fifth Station. The gate will be closed from 4 p.m. to 3 a.m. each day — or may close earlier than 4 p.m. if admission reaches the daily cap of 4,000 visitors. The admission cap and trail hours will not apply to people with mountain hut reservations; however, they will be allowed in at any time regardless of visitor count though they are encouraged to enter the trail by 4 p.m.

Yamanashi Prefecture is implementing a series of restrictions for Mount Fuji’s most popular climbing route as a measure to curb overtourism. In recent years, the excessively crowded conditions on the trail have threatened the safety of hikers, the mountain’s environmental health and its significance as a place of worship — and in turn, Mount Fuji’s status as a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage site. The new rules are also intended to discourage the dangerous practice of “bullet climbing” — non-stop overnight climbing to the summit that caused many hikers to fall ill last summer.

“If you are climbing Mount Fuji, start the day early or be prepared to sleep in a hut. By limiting trail access, we are sending the message loud and clear,” Yamanashi Governor Kotaro Nagasaki said. “The new restrictions will allow us to implement comprehensive safety measures that can preserve the integrity of Mount Fuji, both as an iconic habitat of wildlife and as the spiritual symbol of Japan. ”

Mount Fuji, which straddles Yamanashi and Shizuoka prefectures has four climbing routes, including Yamanashi’s Yoshida Route. The number of Mount Fuji climbers during the last climbing season (July 1- Sept. 10, 2023) totaled 221,000 of which 137,236 people or 62 percent trekked via the Yoshida Route.

The prefecture will use the entry fee to help pay for trail patrolling, guiding hikers, interpreters’ support for foreign visitors, the operation and maintenance of the gate and trail, the Safety Office’s operation, and potential disaster response among other purposes. Hikers will also have the option of paying the existing voluntary maintenance fee of 1,000 yen ($6.50 USD), which helps fund the installation and operation of the First Aid Stations, temporary public restrooms, and other essential services.