TOKYO: Japan’s Yamanashi prefectural government will impose fees on those rescued by a prefectural helicopter while attempting to climb Mount Fuji during the off-season and make the submission of climbing registration forms mandatory during that period, Yamanashi Governor Kotaro Nagasaki announced on Monday (Sept 14).
Cases of reckless climbing during the off-season – from early September to early July – has been on the rise, particularly among foreign visitors to Japan.
A trailhead for the mountain is located in Yamanashi Prefecture, and the prefectural government aims to implement the measures countering the off-season trend in September 2027, through the enactment of a new ordinance.
Fees will be waived or reduced for climbers who submitted a registration form and took appropriate safety precautions.
Filling out a climbing registration form will be mandatory for anyone ascending to the sixth station or higher on the Yoshida Trail during the off-season. Details such as the climbing plan and equipment being used will be required, according to the prefectural government.
A rescue fee of 8,000 yen (US$52) per five minutes already introduced in Saitama Prefecture will be used as a reference.
“We ask the general public to refrain from climbing during the off-season. We hope that these measures will cause people to rethink what climbing Mount Fuji during the winter is like,” Nagasaki said at a regular press conference on Sept 14.
Shizuoka Prefecture has three trailheads to Mount Fuji, and its prefectural government compiled a proposal on Sept 14 to make the submission of climbing registration forms mandatory, potentially imposing penalties on those who fail to submit them. It also aims to implement the system in September 2027.
Regarding the introduction of fees for rescue helicopters, the prefectural government indicated that it would continue to consider the matter for the time being, noting that there are many issues to address from the standpoint of fairness. - The Japan News/ANN
