Japan’s Mount Fuji implements tourist tax in response to overcrowding concerns

Mount Fuji, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and an icon of Japan, has implemented new regulations for climbers amid concerns about overcrowding.

From July 1, climbers must pay 2,000 yen ($12.40) per person, with a daily maximum of 4,000 climbers per day.

“By strongly promoting comprehensive safety measures for climbing Mount Fuji, we will ensure that Mount Fuji, a treasure of the world, is passed down to future generations,” said Koutaro Nagasaki, governor of Yamanashi Prefecture, when announcing the new regulations earlier this year. .

“To revive traditional mountaineering at the foot of Mount Fuji, we will gain a detailed understanding of the Fuji-ko and Oshi culture that supported the worship of Mount Fuji. We seek to connect these cultures to this mountaineering, as it is rooted in the cultural values ​​of the religion.”

Fuji-ko is a mountain-specific religion.

Human traffic jams, foothills full of rubbish and hikers with inadequate clothing – some trying to climb in sandals – are between subjects plaguing the popular Japanese website.

In addition, there will be new guides who will manage safety on the trails and surrounding areas. They will inform climbers when they violate mountain etiquette, such as sleeping on the side of the trail, lighting a fire, or wearing inappropriate clothing.

According to provincial data, five million people climbed Mount Fuji in 2019, an increase of three million from 2012.

“Excessive tourism – and all the subsequent consequences such as littering, increased CO2 emissions and reckless hikers – is the biggest problem facing Mount Fuji,” said Masatake Izumi, a government official in Yamanashi prefecture. told CNN Travel last year.

In 2023, a volunteer named Tomoyo Takahashi told CNN she would ask visitors to voluntarily contribute 1,000 yen ($6.20) toward the mountain’s upkeep.

“Not everyone pays 1,000 yen and that makes me sad. There should be a much higher mandatory entry fee so that only visitors who truly appreciate Mount Fuji’s heritage come,” she said at the time.

Now, Takahashi will get his wish.

The new rules, however, only apply to Yamanashi Prefecture, where the most popular trails are located. Fuji is also located in Shizuoka Prefecture, which has not yet implemented any taxes or visitor limits. Governor Nagasaki told reporters that he and the governor of Shizuoka would meet at the end of the climbing season to compare notes.

The headaches of tourism in Japan

Overtourism has become a bigger problem in Japan since the country reopened after the pandemic.

In Kyoto, residents of the historic district of Gion expressed their concern about tourists who flock there to photograph and sometimes harass the geisha who live and work there, earning them the nickname “paparazzi geisha.”

Although the city has put up posters and posters asking visitors not to photograph geisha, some residents told CNN Travel that wasn’t enough. One suggestion from the city hall is to issue fines or fines.

And the city of Hatsukaichi, in Hiroshima Prefecture, in southwestern Japan, was also affected. The small town is home to the famous torii gate, an orange “floating shrine” that is part of a 1,400-year-old Shinto complex.

In October 2023, the city started charging 100 yen (62 cents) per visitor to the sanctuary. The money from the “tourist tax” goes towards maintaining the site and its infrastructure.

Editor’s Note: This story was originally published in March 2024 and has been updated. CNN’s Hanako Montgomery contributed reporting.

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