Hikers who want to take the more popular route to the summit of Mount Fuji will have to pay €12 from July. The goal is to reduce long queues on the road and improve safety on the Japanese volcano, which is groaning under the weight of mass tourism. Local authorities announce this.
Every summer more and more people make their way to the slopes of Japan's highest mountain, whose summit is covered in snow for most of the year and which attracts more than 220,000 visitors each climbing season from July to September.
Starting July 1, an entrance fee of 2,000 yen (12 euros) per person will be charged to climb the famous Yoshida Trail. The number of people allowed to use the track will be limited to 4,000 per day and access will be restricted between 4pm and 2am.
“After the restrictions imposed due to the coronavirus pandemic were lifted, we started seeing more people. “We want them to dress appropriately for the mountains and be well prepared,” a local official said. He added: “We will ask visitors to follow social media networks to obtain the latest information about the number of visitors daily.”
Every summer, tourists climb the mountain with inadequate equipment, and some sleep on the road or start fires to keep warm. Many also try to reach the 3,776-meter peak without stopping to rest. Some people get sick or have accidents as a result.
The volcano is still active and has three other main routes to which entry remains free. But the Yoshida Route, which is relatively easy to access from Tokyo, is favored by about 60 percent of hikers, according to official figures.
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