Latest news with #MountFuji
Wall Street Journal
23-05-2025
- General
- Wall Street Journal
‘Fuji Fire' Review: The Burning Storm
On Oct. 19, 1979, Typhoon Tip, at the time the most intense tropical storm ever recorded, whipped through a U.S. Marine Corps training camp near Mount Fuji in Japan. On one slope of the camp stood a recently constructed fuel farm, made up of three large, rubberized fuel tanks, called bladders, each carrying more than 5,000 gallons of fuel and weighing in excess of 30,000 pounds. As the torrent of rain continued, the loose lava soil underneath began to erode. One bladder containing 5,933 gallons of gasoline 'floated up and over what remained of its encircling earthen embankment.' A sharp metal corner of its frame ripped a 5-foot-long tear in the bladder. Soon 'an estimated 5,500 gallons of the fuel . . . flowed downhill atop already flooding rainwater.' So writes Chas Henry in his account of the disaster, 'Fuji Fire.' At the bottom of the slope, an infantry battalion undergoing training maneuvers at Camp Fuji was temporarily housed in a dilapidated collection of leaky and worn World War II-era Quonset huts. The waterborne fuel flowed downhill and seeped inside some of the huts, where the Marines' open-flame kerosene heaters ignited a series of flash fires. In moments the camp turned into a rushing hell of flame. Thirteen Marines died. Seventy-three, including a Navy corpsman, were badly injured. Of those, 54 suffered life-altering burns. The story is a painful reminder that our youngest soldiers, sailors and Marines bear the consequences of decisions made by the high-level officers and political leaders far above them. Of the 13 who died, the youngest Marine was 17, the oldest 22. With the large number of seriously burned Marines, many of whom would remain on the edge of death for months—five died in Japan and eight others wouldn't make it—the immediate damage from the fires was only the beginning. The remote base was limited in its ability to provide emergency care, and the typhoon blurred communications. But Camp Fuji's leaders made multiple requests that enabled the relocation of casualties from the camp to the next level of triage and stabilizing care, mostly at Yokota Air Base, 60 miles northward from Camp Fuji over difficult routes.
NHK
21-05-2025
- General
- NHK
Mount Fuji climbers could be charged for helicopter rescue
The government of Yamanashi Prefecture, which has a trail to Mount Fuji, has begun studying charging climbers of the mountain for emergency rescue operations using the prefecture's helicopters. The official climbing season for the mountain is usually set between early July and early September. A council of the central and municipal governments and others prohibits climbers without sufficient preparations from going up at other times. But a number of accidents are reported every year as some people attempt to climb when trekking trails are closed. Last month, a Chinese university student was rescued twice in a week on the Shizuoka Prefecture side. Yamanashi officials say they plan to study issues related to collecting the fee, looking at the case of a prefecture that already has an ordinance allowing the government to collect such fees. They include the period for charging fees, whether to collect fees from climbers of other mountains and how to handle cases in which climbers are rescued by other public helicopters, such as police ones. The burden rescue efforts put on the public purse is becoming an issue. Earlier this month, Mayor Horiuchi Shigeru of Fujiyoshida City at the foot of Mount Fuji on Yamanashi side asked the prefectural government to consider charging fees, pointing out that rescue operations are extremely expensive. Yamanashi officials say they will work on the plan to prevent reckless climbing although they are aware of the challenges involved in charging rescue fees.
Japan Times
21-05-2025
- Japan Times
Japan's tourist arrivals soared 28.5% in April to hit record 3.9 million
The number of foreign visitors to Japan soared 28.5% in April on a year-on-year basis to a record 3.91 million, official figures showed Wednesday. "Spring cherry blossom season boosted demand for visits to Japan in many markets, as in the previous month, and overseas travel demand increased in some Asian countries, in Europe, the United States and Australia to coincide with the Easter holidays," the Japan National Tourism Organization said. It said the total surpassed the previous record of 3.78 million in January 2025 and is the highest number in a single month on record. For the first four months of the year, foreign visitor arrivals totaled 14.4 million, a 24.5% increase. A weak yen has for months been leading to a boom in visitors, with national tourism data released in January showing a record of about 36.8 million arrivals last year. The government has set an ambitious target of almost doubling tourist numbers to 60 million annually by 2030. Authorities say they want to spread sightseers more evenly around the country, and avoid a bottleneck of visitors eager to snap spring cherry blossoms or vivid autumn colors. But as in other global tourist magnets such as Venice in Italy, there has been growing pushback from residents in popular destinations such as Kyoto. The tradition-steeped city, just a couple of hours from Tokyo on the bullet train, is famed for its kimono-clad geisha performers and increasingly crowded Buddhist temples. On Mount Fuji, the nation's highest mountain and a once-peaceful pilgrimage site, authorities have started charging climbers in an effort to reduce overcrowding. Last year, a barrier was briefly erected outside a convenience store to stop people from standing on the road in front of it to take photographs with the snow-capped volcano in the background. Business travelers in cities including Tokyo have complained that they have been priced out of hotels because of high demand from tourists. Travelers gobbling sushi and onigiri have also been cited as a factor contributing to a rice shortage in the country, which has pushed prices of the staple to record levels, creating a political headache for the government. The Meteorological Agency on March 30 declared the country's most common and popular "somei yoshino" variety of cherry tree in full bloom in Tokyo. Although this year's blooming dates are around the average, the agency says climate change and the urban heat-island effect are causing sakura to flower approximately 1.2 days earlier every 10 years. Katsuhiro Miyamoto, professor emeritus at Kansai University, estimated the economic impact of cherry blossom season in Japan, from travel to sakura viewing parties, at ¥1.1 trillion ($7.3 billion) this year, up from ¥616 billion in 2023.
Malay Mail
18-05-2025
- Malay Mail
Locals fume as Mount Fuji ‘dream bridge' turns into tourist nightmare
TOKYO, May 18 — A local government initiative to promote a scenic bridge in Fuji, Shizuoka prefecture, as a prime photo location for Mount Fuji has sparked backlash from residents who say their lives are being disrupted by the influx of tourists. Dubbed the 'Mount Fuji dream bridge', the spot has become a viral hit on social media thanks to a dramatic staircase that appears to lead directly to Japan's tallest peak. On clear days, the location draws long queues, with more than 50 people seen lining up for a photo in April. But what was meant to be a tourism boost has instead brought daily headaches to those living nearby. 'It's really troublesome because travellers speak loudly from early in the morning,' said one local woman to Japan's Kyodo news agency. Another questioned: 'Is there a single resident who thought the tourist attraction was worth the trouble?' The bridge, built in 2016 to link two major roads, now attracts up to 1,000 visitors on busy days. Among them was Zhu Yihao, a tourist from Shanghai, who said he came hoping to take 'beautiful and unique' photos. While the city government has embraced the site's popularity — encouraging visitors to share photos online and even installing multilingual warning signs and free parking — the measures have done little to curb problematic behaviour. According to Kyodo, locals report persistent issues with illegal parking, noise and trespassing onto private property, prompting some to erect their own signs urging visitors to respect the area. The situation echoes similar problems in Yamanashi prefecture, where tourists descending on a convenience store with views of Mount Fuji forced authorities to erect temporary fencing to prevent jaywalking.
South China Morning Post
18-05-2025
- South China Morning Post
Japan's push to promote Mount Fuji Instagram spot backfires as overtourism irks locals
A local government's decision in Japan to promote a bridge as the perfect spot for an Instagramable shot of Mount Fuji has backfired, with residents up in arms about disruptions caused by people looking to get the shot of a lifetime. The location known as 'Mount Fuji dream bridge' in Fuji, Shizuoka prefecture, was envisioned as a tourist draw that would be a boon to the area. Instead, it has brought complaints from residents about illegal parking and excessive noise. On a clear day in April, more than 50 people were lined up to take photos at a staircase that has gone viral for appearing to lead directly up the 3,776-metre (12,400-foot) mountain, Japan's tallest. Zhu Yihao, a visitor from Shanghai, China, said he hoped to capture some 'beautiful and unique' photos at the location. Built in 2016 to connect two major public roads, the bridge now attracts around 1,000 people on some days. The city government's website encourages visitors to share photos taken at the place on social media , but at the same time urges them to take pictures quietly. It also has posted signs around the area warning tourists in several languages and provides free parking.
