Japan to introduce Mount Fuji climbing fee to tackle overcrowding

Japan will introduce climbing fees on Mount Fuji’s four main trails this summer to address overcrowding and enhance safety for tourists.

The new measure will require hikers to pay a fee of 4,000 yen (about 900 baht) to ascend Mount Fuji on any of its four main routes. The goal is to improve safety and reduce the environmental impact of the large number of visitors.

This decision follows a trial where a 2,000 yen (around 450 baht) fee was implemented on the popular Yoshida Trail in Yamanashi Prefecture, along with a daily cap on the number of hikers.

The climbing fee will now extend to three other trails in Shizuoka Prefecture, which were previously free.

While the initiative reduced the number of hikers from 221,322 in 2023 to 204,316 last year, Shizuoka prefecture official Natsuko Sodeyama stated that the annual figure of over 200,000 hikers remains high.

"There is no other mountain in Japan that attracts that many people in the span of just over two months. So some restrictions are necessary to ensure their safety," she said.

Mount Fuji, which is covered in snow for most of the year, sees hikers ascend its steep, rocky slopes during the summer season, often trekking through the night to catch the sunrise from the summit. 

The iconic mountain has been immortalised in numerous works of art, including "The Great Wave off Kanagawa" by a Japanese ukiyo-e artist, Katsushika Hokusai.

(2025/03/18-00:00)