Shizuoka Plans to Collect 3,000-5,000 Yen from Mt. Fuji Climbers

Shizuoka, Nov. 21 (Jiji Press)--The Shizuoka prefectural government is considering collecting entry fees of 3,000 yen to 5,000 yen per head from people climbing Mount Fuji from the central Japan prefecture's side, beginning next summer, officials said Thursday.

The fees are designed to prevent overcrowding on trails to 3,776-meter Mount Fuji and discourage dangerous overnight attempts to scale the tallest mountain in the country.

At a meeting with a local council promoting safe Mount Fuji climbing, the prefectural government also presented the ideas of requiring prior learning of mountaineering rules and manners and barring climbers from all three trails on the Shizuoka side during the night-time except those who have booked accommodation in mountain huts.

Meanwhile, the government plans to abolish the existing "voluntary conservation cooperation" fee of 1,000 yen instead of implementing those regulations, for which it intends to propose an ordinance to the prefectural assembly in February next year.

During this year's climbing season of Mount Fuji, which straddles Shizuoka and the neighboring prefecture of Yamanashi, a daily limit of 4,000 climbers and an entry fee of 2,000 yen per head were imposed by the Yamanashi prefectural government for the first time.

[Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]