Fuji is a cultural heritage that has been a source of faith and art. Since the dawn of Japan’s history, the majestic shape of this overwhelming mountain has been passed down in many documents, and it has also appeared in many works of art. Fuji was registered as a UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization) World Heritage site in 2013, and the mountain is increasingly attracting the attention of people overseas. World Heritage sites are divided into three categories: cultural heritage, natural heritage, and composite heritage, but what may seem surprising is that Mt. Fuji is registered as a “Mt. Fuji – Object of Faith and Source of Art. Fuji World Heritage Center explains such values in detail. Fuji World Heritage Center, where visitors can learn about the 25 properties in the categories of object of faith and source of art, including mountain trails, shrines at the foot of the mountain, and places where pilgrimages and ascetic practices were conducted. The exhibits are all fascinating, but I recommend the “World Heritage Mt. Fuji VR,” which allows visitors to enjoy VR images from the Misaka Pass, which has been depicted in ukiyoe woodblock prints, to the top of Mt. Fuji, and you can also experience the “Onakamichi,” a path that circles around the middle of Mt. Fuji, and watch images of the area around the Osawagatake collapse, which is now a restricted area and cannot be crossed.
Fuji Mountain Railway Concept Explained by Governor of Yamanashi Prefecture Before heading to the trailhead, Mr. Kotaro Nagasaki, Governor of Yamanashi Prefecture, explained the status of the prefecture’s efforts to solve the issues at the Fuji Science Institute. Currently, Yamanashi Prefecture is developing a concept to realize the “Mt. Fuji Mountain Railway” as one of the measures to preserve the landscape and over tourism. Fuji Mountain Railway is a project to introduce an LRT (next-generation tram system) to the current Fuji Subaru Line (from Fujiyoshida City to the fifth station at the Yoshidaguchi entrance of Mt. Fuji is well known overseas as well, and has become even more popular since it was registered as a World Heritage site in 2013. According to Yamanashi Prefecture tourism visitor statistics, the number of visitors to the fifth station was 2.31 million in 2012, while the number more than doubled to 5.06 million in 2019 before Corona. In registering the site as a World Heritage site, the International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS), an advisory body to UNESCO, has pointed out three areas of concern: the need to control visitors because of the large number of people; to regulate exhaust emissions because of the large environmental impact; and to create a landscape appropriate for a place of worship because of the prominence of man-made structures, He explained that the current situation is worsening rather than solving the issues. The LRT was chosen because it can use existing roads, it does not use overhead power lines, so the landscape is not damaged, and it has fewer noise and vibration problems, among other advantages. The question is often asked, “Why not just use electric buses instead of trains?” The question is often asked, “Can’t we just use electric buses instead of trains?” To this question, he says that by using a track, it would be possible to regulate the vehicles. He informed the audience that under the current road law, it is difficult to regulate vehicles for reasons of congestion because of the main principle of freedom of passage. In August, Venice, Italy, which is registered as a World Heritage site, was recommended for designation as a “Crisis Heritage” site because of environmental problems caused by overtourism, and if the situation continues as is, Mt. Fuji may eventually follow the same path. Governor Nagasaki said, “At this point in time, not 100% of the people are in favor of the mountain railroad concept. Some people are of the opinion that it is fine as it is. Fuji is not only for the local community, Yamanashi Prefecture, or Japan, but also for the world. We would like to discuss the issue in a broader field and reach a conclusion,” he said.
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