Those who want to hike one of the most popular trails on the iconic Mt. Fuji of Japan now they will have to book in advance and pay a fee because the picturesque volcano fight against excessive tourism, trash and those who rashly try to climb it during the night to see the sunrise, putting lives in danger.
Yamanashi Prefecture announced in a statement Monday new rules for the climbing season, which begins July 1 and ends Sept. 10, for hikers hiking the Yoshida Trail on the Yamanashi side of Mt. 3,776 meters (12,300 ft) high, declared a World Cultural Heritage Site by UNESCO in 2013.
Only 4,000 climbers per day will be allowed on the trail; 3,000 spots can be reserved online for 2,000 yen ($18), and the remaining 1,000 can be reserved in person on the day of the climb.
Climbers can reserve their places through the official website of Mount Fuji Climbing, jointly managed by the Ministry of Environment and the two prefectures of Yamanashi and Shizuoka.
Mount Fuji is divided into 10 stations, and there are four “5th seasons” halfway, from where the four routes—Yoshida, Fujinomiya, Subashiri and Gotemba—leave to the top.
Under the new system, climbers will have to choose whether to do a day hike or spend the night in the various shelters available along the way. Once their data has been entered and on the day of the climb, they receive a QR code that they must scan at the fifth station. Those who have not reserved a cabin for the night will be sent back and will not be allowed to climb between 4 pm and 3 am, mainly to prevent climbers from climbing to the summit without getting enough rest, which which would pose security problems, according to authorities.
The governor of Yamanashi, Kotaro Nagasaki, thanked the population in a statement for their understanding and cooperation in helping to conserve Mount Fuji.
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Source: Gestion
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