JAPAN has slapped a 4,000 Yen fee on all hiking routes on the iconic Mount Fuji.
The charges will kick in this summer and are aimed at curbing overcrowding on the country’s highest mountain.
Japan has experienced record levels of tourism over the last three years, and the local authority overseeing the peak – Yamanashi Prefecture – has raised alarm bells over footfall on the mountain.
A minor fee and a cap on visitor numbers was introduced last year, but officials now say charges to access Mount Fuji on all its trails from July to September this year will be doubled.
Four thousand Yen is around £21 or $27.
Last year’s restrictions saw the numbers of hikers and climbers drop from 221,322 in 2023 to 204,316.
“There is no other mountain in Japan that attracts that many people in the span of just over two months,” explained Shizuoka Prefecture official Natsuko Sodeyama.
“So some restrictions are necessary to ensure their safety.”
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