3-2-2024 (TOKYO) Mountaineers planning to ascend Mount Fuji via the popular Yoshida trail may soon be required to pay a toll of 2,000 yen (S$18) starting from July 2024. The proposed fee aims to alleviate congestion on the iconic mountain and finance safety measures, according to Yamanashi prefecture’s Governor, Kotaro Nagasaki, in an interview with Japanese media on February 1.
As footfall on the mountain has returned to pre-pandemic levels, concerns have resurfaced regarding issues such as littering, underprepared hikers, and the practice of rapid overnight climbing without rest, known as “bullet climbing.”
The toll will be collected at a gate to be established at the fifth station on the Yoshida trail, located on the Yamanashi side of the mountain. The Yoshida trail, spanning 3,776 meters, is one of the four routes leading to the summit of Mount Fuji. It consists of ten stations, with the peak marking the tenth and final stop.
The revenue generated from the toll will be utilized to implement measures against bullet climbing and construct a shelter in the event of an eruption from the active volcano. A source from the prefectural government revealed this information to The Japan Times.
The proposed toll of 2,000 yen will be in addition to the current request for hikers to donate 1,000 yen to support the mountain’s maintenance.
In February, the Yamanashi government plans to present the toll proposal to the prefectural assembly for consideration, the source added.
During the summer climbing season in 2023, the number of hikers who passed the eighth station of Mount Fuji from all four routes reached 221,322, which is comparable to the figures from 2019, according to the Environment Ministry. Of these climbers, over 60% (137,236) chose the Yoshida trail.
In August 2023, the Yamanashi government announced that if overcrowding posed a danger, they would impose restrictions on the number of climbers allowed on the Yoshida trail. However, this measure has not been implemented thus far.
Furthermore, in December 2023, it was announced that during the climbing season in 2024 (between July 1 and September 10), the trail would be closed to all climbers except those with hut reservations between 4 pm and 2 am. This move aims to discourage bullet climbers who typically aim to reach the summit in time for sunrise. Additionally, there will be a limit of 4,000 climbers per day.
