Reported by Wang Jing, special correspondent in Japan for Global Times, according to Japan New Overseas Chinese News Network on May 2, Mount Fuji, Japan’s highest peak, is revered by the Japanese as one of the nation’s symbols. Every year, it attracts a large number of mountaineering enthusiasts. However, with the increase in climbers, damage to nature, pollution, and litter have become a major issue. Japan’s Ministry of the Environment and Yamanashi Prefecture, where Mount Fuji is located, have carried out various promotional and educational activities. Over the years, these efforts have yielded positive results.
According to statistics from the “Seventh Station Public Restroom Maintenance and Management Association,” jointly established by Fujikawaguchiko City in Yamanashi Prefecture and Japan’s Ministry of the Environment, over the past year or two, the “Maintenance and Management Cooperation Fee” collected at the public restrooms located at the Seventh Station on the descent route has increased.
It is reported that every climber who pays the “cooperation fee” to use the restroom receives a commemorative magnetic card as a symbol recognizing the improved etiquette of climbers.
According to the “Seventh Station Public Restroom Maintenance and Management Association,” during the restroom operation period from July 1 to September 4, 2011, the total amount of “cooperation fees” collected reached 6,101,980 yen, an increase of 851,733 yen compared to the summer climbing season of 2010. In terms of pricing, when the management fee system was first introduced in 2009, the fee per restroom use was 100 yen. Starting in the 2010 season, the fee was raised to 200 yen per use.
In addition, data from the “Mount Fuji and Surrounding Areas Beautification Promotion Association,” composed of Yamanashi Prefecture and local organizations around Mount Fuji, shows that between July 1 and August 31, 2011, cleanup activities at the Seventh and Eighth Stations of Mount Fuji collected a total of 1,170 kilograms of garbage. This amount is 220 kilograms less than during the same period in 2010, marking the second consecutive year of decline since 1,680 kilograms were collected in 2009. The “Mount Fuji and Surrounding Areas Beautification Promotion Association” analyzed that “this indicates the enlightenment and promotional efforts aimed at improving climbers’ etiquette are beginning to show results.”