"Tourists, Enough Already" Mount Fuji Takes Drastic Measures with Triple Entrance Fee Hike and Visitor Limits...

Mt. Fuji Admission Fee 1000 Yen → 3000 Yen
Daily Visitor Limit Set to 4,000 People

Japan's iconic tourist destination, Mount Fuji, will triple its entrance fee and limit the number of visitors. This measure aims to curb overtourism caused by excessive congestion and prevent dangerous climbing activities.

On the 30th, Yamanashi Prefecture announced that starting July 1, an additional 2,000 yen will be charged on top of the existing "Mount Fuji Conservation Cooperation Fee" of 1,000 yen per visitor. As a result, it will cost 3,000 yen per person to enter Mount Fuji going forward.

Mount Fuji, Japan.
Photo by Wikipedia

Yamanashi Prefecture plans to install toll booths at the 5th Station of the Yoshida Route climbing trail to collect the fees and will limit the number of daily climbers to 4,000. The prefectural authorities judged that more than 4,000 climbers per day would create overcrowded and dangerous conditions.

Additionally, from 4 p.m. to 3 a.m. the next day, entry will be prohibited except for those staying overnight at mountain huts.

According to Yamanashi Prefecture, between July 1 and September 10 last year, when climbing Mount Fuji was permitted, there were only five days when the number of daily climbers exceeded 4,000. Before the COVID-19 pandemic, in 2019, there were about ten such days.

However, as the COVID-19 situation stabilized and many foreign tourists flocked to Mount Fuji, people began to climb lightly dressed and carelessly despite the high altitude of 3,776 meters. Dangerous behaviors such as sleeping on the trails or lighting fires were frequently observed.

Japanese local media have expressed opinions that the 3,000 yen fee per person is too high, but Yamanashi Prefecture insists that the additional charge is necessary to prevent excessive congestion on Mount Fuji and to maintain evacuation shelters in preparation for potential eruptions.

Some analysts suggest that considering the current weak yen situation, the entrance fee should be raised to around 7,000 yen to effectively reduce the number of tourists.

Meanwhile, last year there were 63 rescue incidents on Mount Fuji. The causes included altitude sickness, hypothermia, falls, and difficulty walking due to fatigue. This represents a 20% increase compared to the previous year.