TOKYO, July 1, (Xinhua): The climbing season started Monday at Japan's renowned Mount Fuji with one of the four main hiking trails opened, after a mandatory hiking fee was introduced this year to address overtourism concerns.
The prefecture of Yamanashi now charges 2,000 yen (about 12 US dollars) as a mandatory hiking fee for all climbers for Yoshida Trail, the most commonly used route up the 3,776-meter mountain.
According to the prefecture, the collected fees will cover expenses regarding safety and conduct, support for foreigners, maintenance, and disaster response services.
As part of the efforts to control visitor numbers and ease congestion, a maximum of 4,000 climbers are accepted per day on the trail, and restrictions will be imposed when the numbers exceed the daily limit.
A gate has been set up at the fifth station to close the trail between 4 p.m. and 3 a.m. local time to anyone without a prior overnight reservation in a mountainside hut.
During the climbing season which lasts until Sept 10, visitors are encouraged to use the reservation portal on the mountain's official website to book and pay in advance to secure their spots for a set day.
Mount Fuji, designated as a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage site in 2013, is one of the most enduring symbols and popular tourist destinations in Japan, straddling Yamanashi and Shizuoka prefectures.
The official climbing season of the other three trails on the Shizuoka Prefecture side is scheduled to begin on July 10.