According to Japan's Kyodo News on July 1, Mount Fuji (elevation 3,776 meters), located in Shizuoka and Yamanashi prefectures, welcomed its first opening day after being listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The number of climbers from across the country far exceeded previous years. In order to catch a glimpse of the breathtaking "Goraiko" (sacred sunrise) at the summit, long, winding lines of climbers had already reached the top before dawn. It is expected that the number of climbers will continue to rise, and Mount Fuji, now officially entering its summer climbing season, will face challenges in both safety and environmental protection.
The climbing routes are divided into four paths: Yoshida in Yamanashi Prefecture, Subashiri and Gotemba in Shizuoka Prefecture, and Fujinomiya. Except for Fujinomiya, the other three routes were fully opened at midnight.
At around 4:40 a.m. on the 1st, as the sun peeked out from behind the clouds, cheers erupted at the summit.
As one of the affiliated sites of the World Heritage property, the Fujisan Hongu Sengen Taisha Shrine in Fujinomiya City, Shizuoka Prefecture, held an "opening ceremony" starting at 9 a.m. to pray for the safety of climbers. Shizuoka Governor Heita Kawakatsu and others attended the ceremony. Fujinomiya Mayor Hideyuki Sudou announced the opening of the mountain, emphasizing the need to "protect the world-renowned natural and cultural landscape."
According to data from Yamanashi Prefecture, Japan, the annual number of climbers on Mount Fuji ranges from 350,000 to 400,000. To ensure safety and environmental protection, both prefectures will begin a trial collection of climbing fees (1,000 yen, approximately 62 RMB) near the 5th and 6th stations of each climbing route from the 25th, for about 10 days, and will also conduct a questionnaire survey. Official fees will be implemented in the summer of 2014.