© AFP
Hikers who want to take the most popular route to the top of Mount Fuji will have to pay 12 euros from July. The aim is to reduce long lines on the route and improve safety on the Japanese volcano, which has fallen victim to mass tourism. The local authorities report this.
More and more people flock every summer 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.
From July 1, an entrance fee of 2,000 yen (12 euros) per person will be charged to climb the popular Yoshida Trail. The number of people allowed to use the path will be limited to 4,000 per day and access will be prohibited between 4 p.m. and 2 a.m.
“After the coronavirus pandemic restrictions were lifted, we started seeing more people. We want them to wear clothing suitable for the mountains and be well prepared,” said a local official. “We will ask visitors to monitor social networks for the latest information on the number of daily visitors,” he added.
Every summer, tourists climb the mountain with inadequate equipment, some sleeping on the path or making fires to stay warm. Many also attempt to reach the 3,776-meter summit without stopping to rest. Some people become ill or have accidents as a result.
The volcano is still active and has three other main routes that remain free to enter. But the Yoshida Trail, which is relatively easy to reach from Tokyo, is preferred by about 60 percent of hikers, according to official figures.
