The Shizuoka Prefectural Government said Wednesday that it will launch an online registration system for Mount Fuji climbers on June 10.
The use of the registration system will not be mandatory, but registration will require the viewing of a video on climbing rules and etiquette.
Mount Fuji straddles Shizuoka and the neighboring prefecture of Yamanashi. As the Yamanashi Prefectural Government has decided to introduce a ¥2,000 fee for those climbing the mountain on the Yoshida route in the prefecture, as well as a daily limit of 4,000 climbers, there are concerns that climbers may rush to the Shizuoka side, which has the Fujinomiya, Gotenba and Subashiri routes.
Therefore, the Shizuoka government hopes that climbers will fully observe proper etiquette after watching the video. It is also considering creating an ordinance to collect fees from climbers in the next fiscal year, which starts in April 2025, or later.
Under the registration system, climbers can register their names, schedules and mountain lodges where they plan to stay. After watching the video, they will receive an email with a QR code. At the fifth station of each climbing route, checkpoints will be set up for climbers to present the QR code and then receive wristbands.
Overcrowding on Mount Fuji trails, as well as rush climbing and ill-prepared climbers, have become problems amid a surge in visitors from abroad.