Mount Fuji tax to hit hiking tourists
Hikers attempting any of Mount Fuji's four main trails will be charged an entry fee of 4,000 yen (£21) from this summer, after local authorities passed a bill on Monday.
A record influx of foreign tourists to Japan has raised concerns about overcrowding on the country's highest mountain, once a tranquil pilgrimage destination.
A number of regions in Japan are exploring measures to address overtourism, including Himeji in Hyogo Prefecture, which has proposed raising the entrance fee for non-residents to visit its historic castle.
The Telegraph revealed last month that Kyoto is considering a dual-pricing system on buses that would see tourists pay higher fares.
Last year, the Yamanashi region - home to Mount Fuji - introduced a 2,000 yen entry fee, along with an optional donation, for the popular Yoshida Trail, which leads to the active volcano. In addition, daily entry caps and online reservations were implemented for the trail due to concerns about safety and environmental impact on Mount Fuji's majestic slopes.
This year, the Yoshida Trail fee will be doubled for the July-September climbing season, while the neighbouring Shizuoka region passed a bill on Monday to also charge 4,000 yen for its three trails, which were previously free.
Thanks, in part, to the new restrictions, the number of climbers on Mount Fuji decreased to 204,316 last year, down from 221,322 in 2023, environment ministry data shows.
Although climber numbers are still below pre-pandemic levels, '200,000 hikers is still huge', Natsuko Sodeyama, an official from Shizuoka Prefecture, told AFP.
'There is no other mountain in Japan that attracts that many people in the span of just over two months. So some restrictions are necessary to ensure their safety.'
Mount Fuji is covered in snow for most of the year, however during the summer hiking season, many trekkers ascend its steep, rocky slopes through the night to see the sunrise.
The symmetrical mountain has been immortalised in countless artworks, including Hokusai's Great Wave. It last erupted abound 300 years ago.
Koji Matsui, the mayor of Kyoto, told The Telegraph in February: 'We are considering changing bus fares between residents and non-residents, asking non-residents to pay a slightly higher fare. The purpose of this would be to use it as a financial resource to help ease congestion and preserve Kyoto's beautiful cultural cityscape.'
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