Yamanashi Prefecture Constructs New Gate on Mt. Fuji Yoshida Route - 2,000 Yen Toll and Mountaineering Restrictions to Suppress Bullet Climbing and Congestion

Yamanashi Prefecture officially announced today that a gate will be installed at the entrance of the Yoshida Route at the 5th station of Mt. Fuji between July 1 (Monday) ~ September 10 (Tuesday), 2024, and a toll fee of 2,000 yen per person will be collected. At the same time, the number of climbers per day will be limited to a maximum of 4,000, and traffic restrictions will be implemented from 16:00 ~ 3:00 the next morning. (Photo courtesy of Yamanashi Prefecture)

This new rule was unanimously approved by the Yamanashi Prefectural Assembly on March 4 this year. During last year's Mt. Fuji climbing season after the Corona disaster, many climbers visited at night, and congestion near the summit became a problem. In particular, the number of bullet climbers who do not use mountain huts and aim for the summit overnight has increased, and measures were needed to deal with this. According to the Ministry of the Environment, about 220,000 people climbed Mt. Fuji last year, and about 60% of them used the Yoshida route.

At the gate of the 5th station, traffic restrictions are in place to avoid bullet climbing and congestion. The tolls collected will be used for nature conservation, safety management, and interpretation services for foreign climbers. Climbers will need a maximum of 3,000 yen per person, in addition to the 1,000 yen Mt. Fuji conservation cooperation fee that is collected voluntarily.

The traffic is restricted from 16:00 to 3:00 the next morning, and the maximum number of climbers is 4,000 per day, but mountain lodge guests are not subject to this restriction.

The Yamanashi Prefecture Mt. Fuji Conservation and Tourism Ecosystem Promotion Supervisor said, "We would like to ask related parties, the media, and climbers to cooperate in disseminating information about mountaineering regulations." Details of specific regulations, such as the reservation system, will be announced on the official Mt. Fuji website from time to time.

Since Mt. Fuji was registered as a World Cultural Heritage Site in 2013, measures against overtourism during the mountaineering season have become an urgent issue, especially due to the rapid increase in the number of foreign climbers visiting Japan.