Climbers ascend the 6th station of the Fujinomiya trail on the Shizuoka side of Mount Fuji. July 10, Fujinomiya City, Shizuoka Prefecture. (©Kyodo)
On July 10, the climbing routes on the Shizuoka Prefecture side of Mount Fuji opened. Climbers can now access the summit via the Subashiri, Fujinomiya, and Gotemba trails. The Yoshida trail on the Yamanashi Prefecture side opened on July 1. The climbing season for all trails will end on September 10.
Registration System
This season, Shizuoka Prefecture has introduced an online registration system requiring climbers to pre-register. This measure aims to curb bullet climbing, or climbing through the night without resting, and to encourage better adherence to climbing etiquette.
The system requires climbers to submit their climbing plans and indicate whether they will stay overnight in a mountain hut. Those who have not pre-registered must receive a briefing on the rules at each trailhead (the 5th station of each trail). Additionally, climbers who have not reserved a mountain hut will be requested to refrain from climbing after 4 pm.
Anticipated Increase in Climbers
As of July 9, approximately 24,000 people have registered. The prefecture has not set a limit on the number of climbers. According to Shizuoka Prefecture, the number of climbers on the prefecture side in 2023 was 84,086, almost as many as the pre-pandemic level of 85,677 in 2019. Due to factors such as the weak yen, a further increase in inbound visitors is expected this year.
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(Read the article in Japanese.)
Author: The Sankei Shimbun
