Starting in July, tourists visiting Japan’s iconic Mount Fuji will have to pay an increased toll of 3,000 yen ($18.55). This adjustment is seen as a response to the over-tourism caused by the weak yen effect.
According to a report by Yomiuri Shimbun on the 30th, Yamanashi Prefecture announced that they will impose an additional fee of 2,000 yen ($12.37) per tourist starting from the 1st. Combined with the existing 1,000 yen ($6.18) Mount Fuji Conservation Cooperation Fee, the total amount visitors must pay will now be 3,000 yen ($18.55) per person upon entry.
Yamanashi Prefecture intends to establish a toll booth along the Yoshida Route ridge, known as the most frequented climbing course on Mount Fuji.
Furthermore, Yamanashi Prefecture has disclosed plans to cap the daily number of climbers to a maximum of 4,000 people per day, along with the imposition of tolls. Restrictions will be enforced to prevent non-lodgers from entering the mountain between 4 PM to 3 AM the following day.
Yamanashi Prefecture anticipates generating around 300 million yen ($1.9 million) from the tolls collected between July and September.
Governor Nagasaki Kotaro of Yamanashi Prefecture stated, “We have long suffered from the risk of accidents due to overcrowding near the summit caused by the many climbers, increased environmental destruction due to illegal dumping of garbage, and violations of manners by climbers.”
Mount Fuji, an active volcano reaching 12,389 feet above sea level, attained UNESCO World Heritage Site status in 2013.
