Those who want to climb one of the most popular trails on Japan's Mount Fuji will have to book and pay a fee as crowds and littering cause safety and conservation concerns.
The new rules for the climbing season, starting July 1 to September 10, apply for those hiking the Yoshida Trail on the Yamanashi side of the 3776m-high mountain that was designated a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage site in 2013.
Only 4000 climbers will be allowed to enter the trail per day for a hiking fee of 2000 yen ($A27). Of those slots, 3000 will be available for online booking and the remaining 1000 can be booked in person on the day of the climb, Yamanashi prefecture said in a statement.
Hikers also have an option of donating an additional 1000 yen for conservation.
Climbers can book their slots via the Mount Fuji Climbing website, which is jointly run by the Environment Ministry and the mountain's two home prefectures, Yamanashi and Shizuoka.
Under the new system, climbers must choose between a day hike or an overnight stay at the several available huts along the trail. The day of their climb, they are given a QR code to be scanned at the fifth station.
Climbers who have not booked an overnight hut will be sent back down and not allowed to climb between 4pm and 3am, mainly to stop "bullet climbing," or rushing to the summit without adequate rest, which authorities are worried puts lives at risk.
A symbol of Japan, the mountain called Fujisan used to be a place of pilgrimage. Today, it especially attracts hikers who climb to the summit to see the sunrise. But the tonnes of rubbish that's left behind, including plastic bottles, food and even clothes, have become a major concern.
In a statement, Yamanashi govenor Kotaro Nagasaki thanked people for their understanding and co-operation in helping conserve Mount Fuji.
The number of Mount Fuji climbers during the season in 2023 totalled 221,322, according to the Environment Ministry. That is close to the pre-COVID level and officials expect more visitors this year.
Overtourism has also become a growing issue at other popular tourist destinations such as Kyoto and Kamakura as visitors have flocked to Japan in droves since the pandemic restrictions were lifted, in part due to the weaker yen.
Australian Associated Press
