The Yamanashi prefectural government announced Tuesday that the number of climbers on Mt Fuji this year decreased by around 14,000 during the climbing season from July 1 to Aug 31.
According to the prefectural government, the number of people climbing Mt Fuji from the Yamanashi side this year was 232,682, a decline of around 14,000 on last year's figure, TBS reported. The prefecture said that the first day of the climbing season was busy, with one and a half times the number of climbers in 2012. However, it added that visitor numbers fell off from that point, with no single day exceeding 8,000 climbers.
Speculating as to why the mountain, which won UNESCO World Heritage status this year, proved less of a tourist draw than usual in 2013, officials suggested that public appeals to refrain from "speed climbs" due to the high number of rescue calls may have been a factor. Also potentially having a negative impact on visitor numbers was the newly-extended restriction on cars in the area, officials conjectured.
Yamanashi and Shizuoka local governments have announced plans to charge an admission fee to visit Mount Fuji from next year in a bid to subsidise conservation efforts on the iconic mountain. Both prefectures set up collection boxes this year at several starting points for a 10-day test period which lasted from late July to early August.
© Japan Today
6 Comments
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smithinjapan
WHAT?? But I thought it was suddenly a national symbol of pride because it became a 'world heritage'!
In all seriousness though, it was likely just due to the heat.
Kimokekahuna Hawaii
It is better than less footsteps on the mountain keeps out invasive species. A natural world heritage site is also not the same as a Temple or a city and people are avoiding Japan tourism because of the radiation in the fish.
Francis Urquhart
'Climbing' Fuji is crap! It's just an uphill drag through shingle. 'Climbing' is ropes and picks and things through sheer rock-face. This is just a nasty walk up a hill.
pumpkin31526
Maybe the 1000 yen parking fee, a long bus ride on a crowded bus to station five and long queues for the bus return back to the car park has something to do with it.
nath
Car park? Is there a car park? When I went there were just cars parked all the way going up the side of the mountain. .