Japan’s Mount Fuji climbers to pay USD 14 fee

Dhaka: Climbers planning to ascend Japan's Mount Fuji during the climbing season from July 2024 will have to pay a JPY 2,000 (USD 14) fee, as per reports. The fee is being implemented at the mountain's most commonly used trail to ease congestion and to fund safety measures, reports cited Yamanashi prefecture governor Kotaro Nagasaki saying on February 1.

Revenues will be used to implement measures to prevent "bullet climbing" and to build a shelter in case Mount Fuji erupts, added reports. Bullet climbing is an unsafe practice where climbers try to reach the summit of Japan's tallest peak for sunrise in one go without sleeping overnight on the mountain.

The latest fee will be a separate charge from the JPY 1,000 that climbers of Mount Fuji are asked to pay on a voluntary basis in the name of supporting the upkeep of the mountain. On the other hand, Shizuoka Prefecture, which holds three trails, said it is not planning to collect fees other than the current one levied for the purpose of conservation.

Mount Fuji straddles Japan's central Yamanashi and Shizuoka regions and the starting-off point for climbers is about two hours from central Tokyo by train. Japan's famous snow-capped volcano outside Tokyo is usually open to climbers from July to September, drawing hundreds of thousands who often trek through the night to see the sunrise.