Mount Fuji crowds shrink after Japan brings in overtourism measures / Photo: Philip FONG - AFP
-
Gary, Indiana Blackout Exposes FEMA Relief Disparities Along Racial Lines
-
Malta Chamber of Commerce and FIMBank Sign Alliance Agreement to Boost Corporate Finance
-
Turkish Energy Minister Highlights Qatar as Key Partner for Regional and Global Energy Security
-
Rene Eyre Revisits Autobiographical Performance 'Say A Little Prayer' in London
-
London Museum Granted 24/7 License Ahead of November Opening
-
UAE's HCT Holds Record Graduation and Announces Major Training Expansion
-
Dana White Confirms Flight to Washington for Trump Meeting on Press Secretary Role
-
NASA Awards $10B Lunar Contract Framework to SpaceX, Blue Origin
-
Dengue Fever Expands Into High Himalayas as Climate Change Warms Nepal
-
Katy Perry Tells Fans Ex-Husband Russell Brand 'Should Be in Jail' During UK Concert
-
IoT Refrigerator Hacks Disrupt Blood Labs and Supermarkets Across Europe and US
-
South African election results renew debate over identity-based voting
-
Post-election pressures complicate US and Israeli decisions on Iran
-
South African voters report smoother local election but declining IEC trust
-
UN members approve talks on treaty protocol against environmental crime
-
Dolly Parton museum and Nashville hotel open after singer’s death
-
Family-run West Sussex beach café prepares for first winter season
-
George and Amal Clooney attend New York political-comedy reading
-
CT scans reveal health and burial clues from Egypt’s Braided Lady mummy
-
British buyers pay substantial premiums for period-home appearance
-
Oxford faces complaints over lecturer’s classroom attire
-
Thomas Markle released to house arrest after child-abuse-image charge
Mount Fuji crowds shrink after Japan brings in overtourism measures
Fewer climbers tackled Mount Fuji during this year's hiking season, preliminary figures show, after Japanese authorities introduced an entry fee and a daily cap on numbers to fight overtourism.
Online reservations were also brought in this year by officials concerned about safety and environmental damage on the country's highest mountain.
The number of climbers fell by 14 percent between early July -- when the volcano's hiking trails opened for the summer -- and early September, according to the environment ministry.
To calculate its preliminary figures, the ministry used infrared devices installed on the four trails.
It comes despite Japan welcoming a record influx of foreign visitors, with nearly 18 million tourists entering the country in the first half of 2024.
Officials raised the alarm last year about overtourism at the once-peaceful pilgrimage site, with the local governor of Yamanashi region warning that "Mount Fuji is screaming".
This summer the environment ministry counted around 178,000 climbers, compared to more than 200,000 the previous year and before the pandemic.
Gates to the trails were closed on Tuesday, marking the end of the hiking season. The preliminary data runs to September 4 and will be updated on a later date, a ministry official told AFP on Wednesday.
The mountain is covered in snow most of the year but during the summer many trudge through the night to see the sunrise from the 3,776-metre (12,388-foot) summit.
This year, an entry fee of 2,000 yen ($14) plus an optional donation was charged on the popular Yoshida Trail, with numbers capped at 4,000 per day. The three other trails remained free.
Concern had been raised that some climbers were sleeping on the trail or starting fires for heat, while others became sick or injured after trying to reach the summit without breaks.
Mount Fuji is about two hours from central Tokyo by train and can be seen for miles around.
The majestic mountain is a symbol of Japan that has been immortalised in countless artworks, including Hokusai's "Great Wave".
G.P.Martin--AT
