Want to take on 3,776-meter Mount Fuji? That’s probably one of the dreams of many hikers — to admire the beautiful sunrise from Fuji’s peak and gaze at the stunning views of Japan’s Kanto region from above. But hikers, take note: you might have to pay a “mountain entry fee” in the future.
Good news came earlier this month: Mount Fuji, located at the border of Japan’s Shizuoka and Yamanashi prefectures, is expected to be included in the UNESCO World Heritage list. If all goes as planned, the UNESCO meeting in Cambodia this June will officially announce that Mount Fuji will become Japan’s 13th World Heritage Site.
But even before the final approval for the heritage listing is secured, discussions have already begun about whether climbers might need to pay fees in the future.
Mount Fuji begins to accumulate snow from mid-September to mid-October each year, and the snow on the summit doesn’t melt until June of the following year — sometimes remnants can still be seen even in mid-July. Therefore, the best time to climb Mount Fuji is during the summer months of July and August each year, while the mountain is closed during other seasons.
According to Japan’s Yomiuri Shimbun, residents of Shizuoka Prefecture are concerned that once Mount Fuji becomes a World Heritage Site, it will attract more tourists, inevitably leading to increased traffic congestion, more litter, and damage to the natural environment. To preserve the mountain’s environment, it is planned to start charging visitors an entry fee from the summer of 2014.
As Mount Fuji lies on the border between Shizuoka and Yamanashi prefectures, the two prefectures held separate meetings yesterday (the 23rd) to discuss whether to implement a trial “donation-based” fee system as early as this summer — but the two sides remain divided.
Shizuoka Prefecture has no objection to the idea of charging a mountain entry fee. Local representatives believe the fee could be introduced ahead of schedule, hoping that funds collected from climbers can be used to maintain Mount Fuji’s original appearance. If they wait to get unanimous agreement from all stakeholders, it may take another three years before any fees are actually collected.
However, Yamanashi Prefecture believes the matter needs careful consideration. Local representatives pointed out that the purpose of collecting the entrance fee must first be clarified — without a clear objective, directly charging climbers would not be user-friendly.
Regardless, a general plan for the entrance fee system for Mount Fuji next summer is expected to be finalized by January of next year.