Mt Fuji to be closed to all climbers in summer due to pandemic

Fuji is as crowded as the trains where they have to push people to get in the doors.

You walk up at a snail pace because the line from bottom to top and back down is so congested, and the huts are barely navigable because of all the people. It is worse than going to the typical office in terms of social distancing, and people tend to breath harder on each other than they do taking the elevator to work.

I am happy to see fuji closed. Hopefully more people will go to Okutama or other mountains around Fuji and enjoy its beauty from a distance. Nothing good about climbing fuji anyway, other than to say you did it.

@whatsnext

Its really bizarre all those local businesses lose the livelihoods due to bureaucrats!

In two short posts you have claimed that 'bureaucrats' a deliberately trying to impoverish their citizens, that everyone would lose their livelihoods, and then that Chinese comapnies will swoop in a buy them all up for 'pennies on the dollar.' Apparently you've seen this before.

So yeah, you do say some bizarre things.

Great news, we have all be waiting for this to happen for a long time. The tourist destruction, garbage and environmental damage should stop forever.

Coronavirus must really be running rampart up there on the Mt. Fuji snow cap.

The experts know best, so I’m just going to bow my head and stare at my feet while I thank them all for keeping so safe.

Up and down in a day, all you need is to carry tour own water, no need to have contact with anyone else.

The mountain will be dangerous without the huts open. This is the right decision.

It is possible to get into plenty of bother on other mountains in Japan that won't be closed, but none of them have an altitude sickness risk as a high as Fuji's. They also don't have easy access off the Tokaido Shinkansen and or the same tick-it-off-the-bucket-list cachet of Fuji.

Clip..

I really love the use of your word bizarre!

Its really bizarre all those local businesses lose the livelihoods due to bureaucrats! They will have to sell everything they worked hard for. In come the corporations buying everything pennies on the dollar. I've seen it happen before. Maybe you are new here to "how things work" bizarre.

I guess they want everyone to suffer more.

Why would they want to do that?

Hey maybe Chinese companies

As predictable as night follows day. You do say some bizzare things.

Wonder if they watched the alligator before,after or while they had this meeting.

They think they are doing something but they are only hurting their own local economy. I guess they want everyone to suffer more. Hey maybe Chinese companies can come in and buy all the mom and pop stores once they go out of business. Seems more like corporate vultures slying or flying around

socrateosToday  :

Nah...You are not going to catch that virus outdoors too easily while wearing masks. Besides, this is not killing as many people as the flu. And before you say it...I realize it is different than the flu. But this isn't taking as many lives in Japan. It has been here 4 months and social distancing has been only practiced for a month. Stop fearing the world. Society takes risks to function.

Objective:

So dumb. Fresh and open air is one of the safest environments. 

Perhaps you have no idea how Mr Fuji can be crowded.

If you have never been there, just look at this picture:

http://www001.upp.so-net.ne.jp/fujisan/fuji-jam.html

Objectiv:

So dumb. Fresh and open air is one of the safest environments. Get outside and if you have extra money, spend it locally, nationally and often.

Totally agree, but don´t go to places where a sudden weather change can force you to huddle with hundreds of others.

So dumb. Fresh and open air is one of the safest environments. And this virus is proving to be way less dangerous than media is telling you. Everyone wears masks in Japan anyways. Get outside and if you have extra money, spend it locally, nationally and often.

have you seen the amount of trash, not only toilet paper but empty oxygen tanks, just left there.

Erm, I haven't seen that either. All the loos on Fuji are now micro-organism treatment toilets, the days of rivers of excrement are long gone, as is the trash issue. An as for discarded oxygen tanks, are you sure you have the right mountain?

Garthgoyle:

The reason they're closing might be because the huts will be closed.

Thanks for pointing that out. I was going to comment on how stupid this closure is, but considering the huts I can see the point. Having the huts closed ist probably irresponsible, seeing how quickly weather can change on a mountain.

 have you seen the amount of trash, not only toilet paper but empty oxygen tanks

No, I haven't. I have climbed it twice and even carried a plastic bag to pick up trash along the way. I found one piece.

Who ever wanted to climb it this year dodged a bullet. It's nice to look at from a far, but not so nice to climb.

Very good thing to do .. I have never seen in my life a mountain crowded due to human traffic ...

Understood, I'm one of those people who depend on the mountain for my living, so it will hit me hard. 

Sorry to hear that, it's a tough time for everyone in the travel, lodging industry.

I'm gonna miss seeing the lights on the mountain in summer, but there is always next year.

I'll be climbing next year for sure.

Clueless without any common sense.

I feel for the hut owners and businesses that depend on the climbers, but those huts can hold up to 200 people packed together and with the huts being closed, there will be no emergency shelters for those who need it. Storms come up quick and it can be cold when they do. Some people arrive at the mountain with no more than basket ball short and a space blanket. True mountaineers would fare well without the support, but many people get altitude sickness and are ill prepared.

In a month they will change the decision. Mark my words.

The reason they're closing might be because the huts will be closed. Staying at the huts would be suicidal, specially for the workers. One infected person sleeping inside those tiny enclosed shelters would spread the virus like fire. And with no huts to take shelter in the middle of a lightning storm or extreme cold and wet conditions (I've being in both) would be extremely dangerous too. While this will hurt the local businesses in the mountain, I'd rather stay alive and come back next year.

Probably the Mountaineers have more sense than the Pachinko patrons.

It's just a guess.

But there are a lot of people who depend on the climbing season, tour operators, hotels, onsets etc etc so a bad scenario all around.

Understood, I'm one of those people who depend on the mountain for my living, so it will hit me hard. However, I think it's the only logical decision. Without the mountain huts you don't have the same safety infrastructure in place. And people come from all over to climb the mountain, the potential for spreading the virus is quite large I'd say.

Not interested in climbing, but what are they going to do, arrest you? For what?

Tresspassing. Much of the mountain is privately owned. But I've no doubt that there will still be people having a crack at it.

I'm gonna miss seeing the lights on the mountain in summer, but there is always next year.

Definitely disappointing as I was planning a climb.

I can understand that the mountain hut owners require sufficient notice as it takes them more than a month to get the huts ready.

But there are a lot of people who depend on the climbing season, tour operators, hotels, onsets etc etc so a bad scenario all around.

Not interested in climbing, but what are they going to do, arrest you? For what?

Stupid.

Closing the mountain is a bit over the top. Regulating the number of people at the 5th station and staying at the huts would have been enough. Than again, this is Japan, and closing it is far easier to decide on than debating numbers and figuring out who will control it and whether fines are even possible etc...

Yeah this is crazy. Makes no sense. I would agree about controlling and limiting the flux of people, but a complete close is ridiculous.

They might open pachinko parlors (some are already being allowed to re-open) but close Fuji for climbing????

This seems completely illogical to me. No it seems crazy.

What they could do is establish a permitting system and limit the number of permits to reduce or prevent over crowding.