(Tokyo) A barrier wall was installed halfway up Mount Fuji in Japan on Monday before the start of the climbing season on 1er July, in order to control the daily number of climbers.
But the governor of Yamanashi, one of the two prefectures home to the mountain, maintains that additional measures are needed to control overpopulation on its lower slopes.
The barrier was installed as part of a new set of rules that Yamanashi authorities are introducing this year to address growing safety, environmental and overcrowding concerns on the famous Japanese mountain.
The newly installed gate will be closed between 4 p.m. and 3 a.m., to exclude those who have not booked an overnight stay at a shelter along the Yoshida Trail, which is used by most climbers. Above all, we want to put an end to “sprint climbs” –– rushing to the summit without adequate rest – a practice considered very risky.
A maximum of 4,000 climbers per day will also be allowed to access the climbing trail.
Yamanashi Governor Kotaro Nagasaki told a news conference in Tokyo on Monday that the number of climbers on the trail this year is expected to surpass the 137,236 recorded last year. However, the governor fears that overcrowding near the summit could lead to a major catastrophe, such as the fall of several people in a domino effect.
Under the new system, climbers must make reservations and choose between a day hike or an overnight stay at one of the many shelters along the trail. There is a mandatory hiking fee of 2000 yen (approximately $17.50 CAD) and a voluntary contribution of 1000 yen ($8.75) towards the conservation of the site.
A QR code is sent to climbers’ phones to be scanned at a gatehouse halfway up the mountain, in an area known as the “fifth station,” where the Yoshida Trail begins. Mount Fuji has 10 such stations.
Governor Nagasaki said he is confident that these new measures will reduce overcrowding in the upper reaches of Mount Fuji, but that problems remain downstream. He pledged to reduce overtourism in the lower levels and surrounding areas, possibly by introducing a mountain railway to the fifth station, currently accessible by car and bus, while promoting traditional climbing routes from the foot of the mountain.
Mount Fuji, long a symbol of Japan, was once a place of pilgrimage. Today it attracts tens of thousands of people who go to the summit to admire the sunrise. But tons of trash left behind, including plastic bottles and food, have become a major concern.
The town of Fujikawaguchiko, in the same Yamanashi region, recently erected a large black screen along a sidewalk to block views of Mount Fuji after tourists began flocking to the area to take photos of the mountain, which seems, at this precise location, to be sitting on the roof of a store. This trend, fueled by social media, has disrupted local businesses, traffic and the lives of residents.
Overtourism has also become a growing problem for other popular tourist destinations in Japan, such as Kyoto, as foreign visitors flock to that country, in part because of the weak yen.