Tourism and Mount Fuji's rocky recovery after COVID

press conference that "countermeasures against ill-mannered climbing are an urgent issue," and in addition to mountain entry regulations, the prefectural government will consider increasing the climbing fee for Mount Fuji, which costs 1,000 yen, in principle.

I'll mannered that can be solved by taking money from climbers, govt just like to get more and more money now.

I don't understand the attraction of climbing Mount Fuji. In addition to being extremely overcrowded, although it's beautiful from a distance, most of the hiking up seems to be through endless barren scree.

I don't understand the attraction of climbing Mount Fuji.

Don't like it, don't climb it..

Climb Fuji is for braves, not for whiners..

LOL !!..

Akaike recounted facing protests when he attempted to warn the groups, who argued there were no signs forbidding their behavior or that it was unavoidable due to the cold.

Ya'll can bvitch and moan all you want, but without those climber's, you have no livelihood!

A system needs to be set in place that stops the idiots from allowing them to climb in the first place.

I climbed four times Mount Fuji, once from Fuji Yoshida then three times from Gotemba. Never seen any problems around. The ones pointed out by journalists are only a few compared to the huge numbers of climbers. And they like to point out foreigners,

but some of them do really take Mount Fuji to lightly and are not prepared or properly dressed, that is a fact.

There is no climbing fee, it is asked on a voluntary basis to help for preserving the site

Like all of a sudden there are problems that have never been there.

leading them to announce in August they would restrict the number of hikers who can use a route to climb to the summit if it becomes dangerous from overcrowding.

It's funny. I've never heard such a thing before during Obon, when the the trails resemble any Yamanote line morning. So why is all this too many foreigners coming up here now? Honestly, sounds like hypocrisy to me. Plus it's the first season after a total lock-down. So this was all totally expected (though somehow they all seem surprised).

Being unprepared can be troubling. I want (the authorities) to stop allowing (lightly clothed) people beyond the 5th station

Yes, idiots going up the mountain suck. I've seen them in all kinds. Iidiot going up in shorts and a Famimato plastic bag, people with suitcases (not kidding), people with ponchos, etc. But what is this person proposing to do, opening backpacks to see what gear they've got?

I don't understand the attraction of climbing Mount Fuji. In addition to being extremely overcrowded, although it's beautiful from a distance, most of the hiking up seems to be through endless barren scree.

Mount Fuji is the first thing that comes to mind when I hear the expression "good from far but far from good."

The ones pointed out by journalists are only a few compared to the huge numbers of climbers. And they like to point out foreigners,

Reminds of that Jiro sushi restaurant in Tokyo. Foreigners have to go through a Japanese travel agency to make reservations because they sometimes cancel their reservations. They say only Japanese people follow the rules and book easily.

This gets so much attention given that hardly anyone actually dies or needs rescuing. They just have what can be a very miserable experience. As mentioned above, the reporting has what feels like a xenophobic focus on foreigners, who won't be the cause of crowding.

A lot of climbing Mt Fuji seems to be about being able to say you've done it. The same applies to other tourist sites of course, but many of them do not involve subzero temperatures and potential altitude sickness. I'm pretty sure that if I climbed Mt. Fuji, it would achieve nothing in in teaching me to strive for my goals and not procrastinate. I think its poor psychology to expect this mountain to solve motivation problems you see in yourself or your children. Two families with children in the last tv report I saw about Mt. Fuji said they were there to teach the kids about striving and achieving goals. Very few practice or study based goals can be achieved in one-off, multihour efforts.

I never got into this fad. Fuji san is beautiful to see from the flatland below while driving or camping. After spending a few summers near the Rocky Mountains in Montana and Wyoming it is an impressive and symmetrical peak but simply not comparable to those incredible mountain ranges and where you can enjoy the scenery and hiking without crowds.

It was painful to watch a tv show last week showing japanese people (staff?) going around waking people up in the middle of the night. "You can't rest here, move along".

At least 10 random groups of foreigners sleeping nowhere near somewhere it could cause any trouble or nuisance to other climbers. Imagine trying to get a few minutes of sleep in a quiet place just to be awaken by flashlights in your face, pats on your shoulders. At least these tourists got to experience how it actually feels like living in Japan.

Found the tv show

https://news.tv-asahi.co.jp/news_society/articles/000312716.html

If Fujisan is so "sacred" to the people why they even allow it to be climbed...

Just look at this crowd, in the middle of the night.

Bet they're having just as fun as the people I saw lining up for hours to enter the cafes, aquarium around Enoshima during Golden Week.

The US makes tourists pay $35 just to enter the major national parks. Keeps a lot of idiots out. And so do other countries. Put the cutoff at Fujisan level 6 or 7. That'll give the out of shape people a chance to hike without getting in trouble. From there charge a fee and make them show a jacket and 1.5L of water. If they don't have it, make them buy or rent a jacket. The local vendors will make $ and tax payers don't have to pay a lot of $ to rescue idiots.

What are people complaining about?

It’s not as though Japan is not able to regulate just about anything, is it?

I would have thought that there would have already been some Mt Fuji climbing committee out there controlling the concessions, car parks, lodges and hiking trails?

Maybe, there isn’t enough money in it presently.

Why are there no cable cars on Fuji?

It’s too windy and too crumbly

Etna in Italy has a train.

It goes around it, not up it

someones been waiting their whole career to get that into a headline.

ClippetyClop

It goes around it, not up it

Ok then.

Ok then

I do enjoy our little chats

The article mentions the bullet-climbing and the need to stay over. When I climbed it 12 years ago there was nothing like the number of people there now, but the facilities at the time were woefully inadequate. I paid for a meal and stay over in one of those huts, but the food was simply not enough for an adult doing vigorous exercise, and it was simply impossible to sleep because of the number of people coming in and out. We prepared and did exactly as we were advised, but the system was not ready for us. At the fifth base it was very difficult to buy simple supplies such as water and food because the shops there were too busy selling souvenir tat to cater for the tourist buses. I have no sympathy at all for people who are inadequately prepared, but I also have little time for the authorities who seem to be eager to make money but without making any reasonable accommodation for change.

When things finally returned to normal and I planned to conquer Mount Fiuji next year, it seems to me that the chances are getting smaller and smaller.

Despite not yet build system that can prevent Covid19 deaths or medical resources overloading, Japan "lifted all Covid19 restrictions", it caused domestic Covid19 9th wave in exchange for economical benefit, still continue to increase weekly new cases and probably deaths since May.

It goes around it, not up it

I went to Swiss once and boy do they have cable cars and all that stuff..! One remote village's only access to the outside world below was a cable car, because even maintaining a railroad track costs way more than that. As such I would think the same about Mt Fuji: unless they are planning to use the road that runs up to the 5th station, it would be crazy to do bc of construction costs and maintaining. Not to mention cutting through the forrest.

Mount Fuji looks absolutely the most beautiful mountain in the world!

From a distance.

Mount Fuji looks absolutely the most disgusting mountain in the world.

When it is covered with climbers as shown in the above picture above.

Why Japan ? Why do You Not Ban Visitors Climbing the Most Beautiful Mountain in the World making it the Most Disgusting in the world ?

The Symbol of Japan must be protected from climbers!

They leave behind them! litter!! more!!! litter!!!! and!!!!! still!!!!!!! more!!!!!!!!!!

litter !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I climbed Mt Fuji before it became a UNESCO World Heritage in June 2013. The first time was 1990, the second time was 1992. I got off a bus at the 5th station both times. I bought a pole that I could collect stamps on both times. There was a fair amount of climbers and I joined the crowd. There were a lot of elderly people. I stopped at almost every station to drink some warm sake or green tea. I never rushed. I knew that if you get up to the peak too early you're going to freeze to death. Neither time did that happen. I got to the peak about 10 - 15 minutes before the sun rose. That's why you stop at the stations. I got some great pictures and although it was cold, the sun cheered up everyone. Both times, I left probably about 6-7am and walked down the mountain. I think I got a bus back to the train station about 10-11am or so. Both climbs were a pleasure. The UN and the municipal governments have ruined the charm of this climb as they whine about money and gaijins not understanding anything. My climbing days are probably finished, but who knows.