On June 17, Yamanashi Prefecture held a briefing session at the Foreign Correspondents’ Club of Japan in Tokyo on efforts to conserve and enhance the value of the World Heritage Site Mt. Mr. Kotaro Nagasaki, Governor of Yamanashi Prefecture, attended the meeting and explained the current problems facing Mt.
As already announced, a gate will be set up at Yoshida-guchi (fifth station) on the Yamanashi Prefecture side of the mountain and climbing restrictions will begin on July 1.
The regulation is to close the gate from 4:00 p.m. to 3:00 a.m. the following day, during which time no one will be allowed to enter the mountain from the Yoshida Exit. As the number of visitors is restricted, the gate will be closed in the same manner when the number of visitors reaches 4,000 per day. A gate toll of 2,000 yen per person will be charged.
The company also asks that the 1,000 yen environmental preservation cooperation fee, which has been collected on a voluntary basis, continue to be collected.
Governor Nagasaki said that the reason for the restrictions was the need to take immediate measures to ensure the safety of climbers. Fuji, and the number of climbers along the Yoshida Route reached 172,657 in 2017. The number has since declined, partly due to the corona, but the number of climbers has returned to pre-pandemic levels, with 137,236 climbers in 2023.
As has been pointed out in the past, excessive crowding on the trails due to the large number of visitors can lead to serious accidents such as chessboard falls, and the forced march up the mountain by bullet train carries the risk of altitude sickness and hypothermia. He explained that the mountaineering restrictions were necessary to prevent such accidents.
In addition, he also stated that “Mt. Fuji Climbing Appropriateness Guidance Officers,” authorized by ordinance, will be assigned to guide climbers who engage in dangerous activities or violate etiquette.
Fuji is a prefectural road under the Road Law. According to the provisions of the Road Law, the principle of free passage applies, and gates cannot be installed that would impede passage.
The idea was a bold measure, described by Governor Nagasaki as “a Columbus’ egg-like change in thinking,” to eliminate the road and make it a prefecture-managed facility. Fuji on the Yamanashi Prefecture side is prefectural land below the 8th station, which is under the control of Yamanashi Prefecture. However, in principle, it is not possible to eliminate the road unnecessarily.
According to Governor Nagasaki’s explanation, Prefectural Road A and B are on the Yoshida route, but for Prefectural Road B, the starting point was only defined as the fifth station and no specific location was specified, so after consulting with the national government, the starting point was moved, and from the fifth station of the Subaru Line to where Prefectural Road A and B merge The road from the fifth station of the Subaru Line to the confluence of Prefectural Roads A and B was eliminated and positioned as a facility managed by the prefecture, which made it possible to install the gate.
In registering the site as a World Heritage site, the International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS), an advisory body to UNESCO, pointed out three concerns: the need to control visitors because of the large number of people, the need to regulate exhaust emissions because of the large environmental impact, and the need for a landscape appropriate for a place of worship because of the conspicuous man-made structures. The three concerns are “the need for visitor control,” “the need to control exhaust emissions as they have a large environmental impact,” and “the need for a landscape appropriate for a place of worship as man-made structures are prominent. This year, we believe that we can achieve visitor control by implementing climbing restrictions above the fifth station, but there are still issues to be addressed below the fifth station, including reducing the environmental impact and artificial landscape.
Fuji Mountain Railway” concept, which would convert the Fuji Subaru Line into a next-generation tram system (LRT), has been proposed as a concrete and extremely effective means of resolving these issues. Yamanashi Prefecture has been making efforts to gain the understanding of local residents by holding explanatory meetings, but there are still voices of opposition to the project.
Governor Nagasaki said, “What is important is not to choose between railroads or electric buses as the means of transportation to the fifth station, but to discuss the value of Mt. Fuji as a World Heritage site and how to sustainably protect the natural environment in the future.
Regarding the environmental impact, they are considering reviving the old mountain trail below the fifth station, which was opened to traffic in 1964. Fuji, but it is now time to rethink the traditions and disperse the climbers.
Fuji mountain railroad concept mentioned above is not limited to solving issues, but also includes the formation of a world-class tourist area in the region centered on Mt. For example, he said, the LRT could not only connect the fifth station and the foot of Mt. Fuji, but could also be extended to major spots at the foot of Mt. Fuji to serve as a core line for secondary transportation, and could be connected to the Yamanashi Station of the Linear Central Shinkansen Line scheduled to open in the future.
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