Climbing limits are being set on Mount Fuji to fight crowds and littering

Those who want to climb one of the most popular trails on Japan’s iconic Mount Fuji will have to book a slot and pay a fee as crowds, littering and climbers who try to rush too fast to the summit cause safety and conservation concerns at the picturesque stratovolcano. The new rules for the climbing season, starting July 1 to September 10, apply for those hiking the Yoshida Trail on the Yamanashi side of the 3,776 meter- (nearly 12,300 feet-) high mountain that was designated a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage site in 2013. Only 4,000 climbers will be allowed to enter the trail per day for a hiking fee of 2,000 yen (about $18). Of those slots, 3,000 will be available for online booking and the remaining 1,000 can be booked in person on the day of the climb, Yamanashi prefecture said in a statement via the Foreign Press Center of Japan. Hikers also have an option of donating an additional 1,000 yen (about $9) for conservation. Climbers can book their slots via the Mount Fuji Climbing website, which is jointly run by the Environment Ministry and the mountain’s two home prefectures, Yamanashi and Shizuoka. Under the new system, climbers must choose between a day hike or an overnight stay at the several available huts along the trail. On the day of their climb, they are given a QR code to be scanned at the 5th station. Those who have not booked an overnight hut will be sent back down and not allowed to climb between 4:00 p.m. and 3:00 a.m., mainly to stop “bullet climbing,” or rushing to the summit without adequate rest, which authorities are worried puts lives at risk. A symbol of Japan, the mountain called “Fujisan” used to be a place of pilgrimage. Today, it especially attracts hikers who climb to the summit to see the sunrise. But the tons of trash that’s left behind, including plastic bottles, food and even clothes, have become a major concern. Overtourism has also become a growing issue at other popular tourist destinations such as Kyoto and Kamakura as foreign visitors have flocked to Japan in droves since the coronavirus pandemic restrictions were lifted. This article was provided by The Associated Press.