Yamanashi Prefecture Announces Survey Results on Mt. Fuji Mountain Railway Concept - Economic Effect 1.56 Trillion Yen and Employment Creation of 120,000 - Capital Investment 148.6 Billion Yen
On September 20, 2024, Yamanashi Prefecture released the results of a survey on the commercialization of the Mt. Fuji Mountain Railway Concept. The survey was conducted using a subsidy from the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism in FY5 of Reiwa and was conducted by Deloitte Tohmatsu Financial Advisory, a contractor. (Photo courtesy of Yamanashi Prefecture)
Today, the press was provided with a 129-page full-text report in PowerPoint format prepared by Deloitte. Some parts of the report were complicated and difficult to understand, and a two-page summary of the report was provided to supplement it.
According to the results of the survey, among the four methods examined for laying and operating railways, the "upper and lower separation B" method was cited as the most effective operation scheme. Under this scheme, the public and private sectors will share the risks associated with the construction and operation of the railway, with an annual ridership of 3 million and a capital investment of 148.6 billion yen. In addition, it is said that the company will be able to maintain profitability even in risk scenarios such as a 50% decrease in the number of users or a 50% increase in capital investment.
According to an estimate of the economic ripple effect that takes into account railways and peripheral businesses as an integrated whole, the cumulative economic ripple effect of railways and peripheral businesses over the 40-year period is expected to be about 1.56 trillion yen, and a total of 120,000 jobs are expected to be created.
The report is expected to be published on the websites of Yamanashi Prefecture and the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism in the future.
The gap between Yamanashi Prefecture and Fujiyoshida City over the mountain railway concept
The Fuji Tozan Railway Concept was formulated by Yamanashi Prefecture in 2021 as a concept to prevent the danger of Mt. Fuji being deregistered as a World Heritage Site, to prevent overtourism at the 5th Station of Mt. Fuji, and to preserve Mt. Fuji. Since then, there has been a conflict of opinion over the Fuji Tozan Railway concept, especially since 2023, when the coronavirus pandemic ended, with Yamanashi Prefecture and Fujiyoshida City, which has taken an opposing stance.
The railway that is expected to be introduced in the Mt. Fuji Mountain Railway Concept is a type of low-floor vehicle type tram called LRT (Light Rail), and the "Utsunomiya Light Rail," which opened in August 2023, has recently become a hot topic.
Until now, the governor of Nagasaki in Yamanashi Prefecture has been considering the railway concept, explaining that "there is no LRT" in response to objections. On the other hand, the mayor of Fujiyoshida City, Horiuchi, is concerned about the environmental impact and the impact on the local economy, and strongly opposes the plan, saying that Yamanashi Prefecture's approach is "LRT-based." The two sides exchanged opinions at their respective parliaments and regular press conferences, and the differences in their positions became clear.
Under these circumstances, the local Yamanashi Nichi Shimbun released a questionnaire on July 1 this year, targeting the mayors of 27 municipalities in the prefecture to coincide with the enforcement of new mountaineering regulations at the 5th station of Mt. Fuji.
As a result, 13 municipalities were in favor and 1 was against. Of the six municipalities at the northern foot of Mt. Fuji, five municipalities other than Fujiyoshida City are in favor of the proposal, and Fujiyoshida City is the only one who has taken a position of opposition.
| July 1, 2024 Yamanashi Nichi Shimbun "Answers and Reasons for the Questionnaire on the Mt. Fuji Mountain Railway Concept" |
