Last year, Yamanashi Prefecture, one of the two prefectures in which Mount Fuji stands, introduced a mandatory hiking fee for those heading up the symbol of Japan. Now Shizuoka, the other prefecture with part of Mount Fuji, is planning to do the same, and in yet another example of rising costs in Japan, the plan is to make the fee much more expensive.
To recap, there are four trails that lead to the top of Mount Fuji. The most popular, and easiest to access from Tokyo, is the Yoshida Trail, which starts in Yamanashi Prefecture. The other three routes, the Subashiri, Gotemba and Fujinomiya Trails, all begin in Shizuoka. While the trails ask for a 1,000-yen donation from hikers, this is done on a voluntary basis. In May of last year, though, Yamanashi instated a mandatory 2,000-yen hiking per person using the Yoshida Trail.
Last month, during a meeting of the Fujisan World Cultural Heritage Council, the organization drafted an outline to standardize the admission rules across all four trails. Three price points were discussed, 3,000, 4,000, and 5,000 yen, with the council settling on 4,000 yen per person to hike the trails.
Also part of the plan is standardization of hours at which hikers are allowed to enter the trails. At the same time as it introduced its mandatory 2,000-yen hiking fee, Yamanashi also introduced new rules which prohibit entry to the trails between the hours of 4 p.m. and 3 a.m.
This decision was made, the authorities said, to discourage “bullet climbing,” the practice of hiking through the night and arriving at the summit of Fuji in time to watch the sunrise, then turning back and hiking back down without staying in any sort of lodging on the mountain. Yamanashi’s stance is that bullet climbing was dangerous, only those who had reserved a sleeping space at one of the mountain huts along the Yoshida trail were allowed onto the route after 4 p.m. Under the new plan, all four Mount Fuji trails will prohibit entrance after 2 p.m. except for those with mountain hut reservations.
News of the proposal comes just days after the town of Himeji announced plans to raise ticket prices to Himeji Castle to double or triple their current costs for out-of-town tourists. While the increased/new Mount Fuji hiking fees have no such tiered structure for locals and non-locals, the higher prices are likely to hit differently depending on where travelers are coming from. With the yen currently very weak against foreign currencies, an additional 2,000 or 4,000 yen isn’t likely to be felt by tourists from overseas, especially within the context of what may be a once-in-a-lifetime Japan vacation for them when they’ve already budgeted for international airfare, extended hotel stays, and other much larger expenditures. On the other hand, for domestic Japanese travelers, many of whom are struggling with inflation-related cost of living increases while their wages remain stagnant, the 4,000-yen-per-person fee is likely to feel much more significant.
Still, one could make the argument that fewer people on Mount Fuji and more revenue coming in will be a boon for preserving the mountain’s natural beauty. However, out of the 4,000-yen fee, the Asahi Shimbun reports that roughly 3,000 yen will go to management and administration of the fee collection system itself, leaving only around 1,000 yen of the money collected to go to conservation projects. Ostensibly, there are also administrative costs associated with the 1,000-yen voluntary donation that’s been in place until now, but obviously less than 3,000 yen’s worth, as it’s unimaginable that the donation system would be running at such a massive loss, so one can’t help but wonder is the new system really needs to be so cost-inefficient.
The plan outline is expected to be presented at prefectural assembly meetings this month and officially submitted in February, and if approved to be in effect for the next Mount Fuji climbing season in the summer of 2025.
Source: SBS via Livedoor News via Jin, Asahi Shimbun, Yomiuri Shimbun
Read more stories from SoraNews24.
-- Mt. Fuji hiking trail reservation system and advance payment details released
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-- Mount Fuji has become so congested with tourists that it has reached breaking point
- External Link
- https://soranews24.com/2024/12/09/price-to-climb-mt-fuji-will-double-trail-gates-will-close-earlier-if-new-plan-is-approved/
24 Comments
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SomeWeeb
Sounds scummy
lunatic
If I have to pay 4,000 to go to the top of the mountain, I want to be carried in a Roman carriage drawn by three white unicorns all the way up!
Matt
Why are we promoting tourism if we hate tourists so much? Also, the news in Japan constantly bangs on about the Yen being weak, but what they're forgetting is the cost of living has risen for everyone around the world. Stop milking tourists when they're already spending thousands of $/£/€ to come and stay here. This will harm Japans reputation.
wallace
Eventually or quite soon Japan will price itself out of the tourist market.
hooktrunk2
When you add the price of the train and bus to get there plus the hut and food and any necessary gear, that 4000 yen seems expensive.
Kabuto
The fable of the Golden Goose.
Jennie
Great, and keep them coming, yes tourists will pay as they pay ¥1200 for a skewer at Tsukiji. Unfortunately this is the Japanese way of telling them to stop trashing the roadways, public restrooms, and they don’t give a sh** about your money anymore. They’re just avoiding to say get the hell out of here.
mist1
Just enjoy looking at Mount Fuji from a distance.
ClippetyClop
4000 yen is still pretty cheap, but you will inevitably see more tourists trying to avoid paying it by scree scrambling to avoid the gates.
And Yamanashi's response was to make bullet climbing even more dangerous for those unable to get a floor space in a yamagoya. SIX people died on the mountain this season compared to one for the previous four years (none of them foreigners). Five of them died bullet climbing during the daytime, when the risk of heat exhaustion and dehydration outweighs the dangers of climbing at night.
They haven't addressed these issues at all, they haven't even mentioned them.
sakurasuki
Is it about safety or about profit? If about safety show to the people number of people being saved after bullet climbing prevention.
https://www.statista.com/statistics/729744/mount-fuji-mountaineer-number-japan/
Last year 221 thousands climb mount Fuji, multiply that with current fee, which is 2,000 yen. That can easily reach above 0.4 Billion Yen, if they consider double the price, then it can be reach easily 0.8 Billion Yen.
Agree with @Matt comment
factchecker
You could charge ¥40 000 and muppets will still want to climb it. Close the trail if that's the end game.
DanteKH
Greed. Greed never changes.
himawari23
What is the goal here? To stop bullet climbers? To reduce the amount of climbers in general? To make money?
If it’s to stop bullet climbers, the only means of prevention would to be have staff bar entry at the main trailheads and close the parking lots / stop running buses after a certain time. That being said, as someone who has bullet climbed twice, it’s not really fair to get mad at them considering how hard it is to secure a spot at a mountain hut. If people are needing to be rescued, fine them heavily.
if it’s to reduce the amount of climbers, well…it will only reduce Japanese climbers I suppose. Even if the fee was ¥10,000, that’s nothing for foreign tourists with the weak yen.
If it’s to make money, congratulations — though it’s pretty disappointing that most of it is likely going to the council members having these inconclusive meetings rather than to Mt. Fuji’s actual conservation…
HopeSpringsEternal
Easy to be $greedy$ with Govt. monopoly power, but it's also a sign of the times, as Japan's economy is failing on so many fronts, which isn't great for tax collections!
Speed
I used to actually live up on Mt. Fuji at one of the US military bases up there back in the 60s. It was pretty free and uncrowded.
I'd never pay this much to climb Fuji. I know it THE most famous to climb here but there are SO MANY other beautiful and challenging mountains to climb all over Japan.
Jennie
@speed
That’s incredible. I’m not a professional climber myself or anything but I took a bus up to the highest point once. It was probably five or so years ago, and on the bus there were only three of us. The most beautiful scenery of Mt. Fuji was up on the plane.. but I’d love to know the other mountains of your choice to climb so I can visit! (Any skiing areas..?)
リッチ
at least it’s nice to see Japanese can become greedy :-)
@Japan Glimpsed
As a matter of fact, Clippetycloppety, only 2 of the six who died this year ascended the single Yamanashi route (same figure as last year, by the by). Inclement weather and sudden health complications were the cause in five cases, while one fatality occurred from a fall. So there goes your thesis, tumbling down the slopes of Fuji-san. How do I know this? A simple Japanese search, which appears beyond your ability, despite having lived here for a while. Check it out https://www.asahi.com/articles/ASS7Z34NDS7ZOXIE011M.html
Forgotten
Much better if lesser people will climb the mountain because of that.
SomeWeeb
Its not about the cost, it's about the fact that literally no more money raised would go to say - the community or mountain road maintenance or helpers or anything, it just all goes right into the pockets of people probably sitting comfortably in a tower in tokyo shuffling paperwork. It adds nothing and doesn't help. Maybe buy some trash cans or something. All I see on here are people complaining about litter, but there's nowhere to put it because you're afraid of trash cans.
Garthgoyle
I've said it before and will say it again, the purpose of the fee is greed. Nothing else.
BeerDeliveryGuy
Yamanashi shooting itself in the foot again.
Shizuoka doing nothing and enjoying the fluctuation of climbers to the Shizuoka side.
SDCA
The thing is, there aren't any guarantees you will be able to climb to the top. The weather changes drastically and there is no way to measure this in advance. You can pay 4,000 yen to start climbing, only to have a storm hit you mid way and keep you from reaching the top.
shogun36
Why stop there? Why not have a pricing war? See who can go the highest before people stop going there?
Raise it to 5000 yen next month and see what happens.
Heck, raise it to 10,000 yen. What's the difference?