Yamanashi Prefecture will begin charging an entrance fee of ¥2,000 to all climbers looking to ascend the most popular route up Mount Fuji as the climbing season starts Monday. The new fee is part of an effort to ease congestion and prevent unsafe climbing.
The overtourism countermeasure, which also includes capping the number of daily climbers at 4,000, marks the first time that climbing one of Japan's most enduring symbols will cost money.
“As more and more climbers visit Mount Fuji, it has long been plagued by the danger of accidents caused by overcrowding near the summit, increased environmental impact due to illegal dumping of trash and poor manners by spontaneous climbers,” Yamanashi Gov. Kotaro Nagasaki told reporters in June during a test run of the new system.