Opposition To Mt. Fuji Railway Plan

Above, a view of Mt. Fuji from a passing Shinkansen. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Back in 2004, our G-TOUR tour group took a bus ride to one of the fifth Stations on the slopes of Mount Fuji in Japan. 

Now, one of the governing prefectures of the mountain is considering building a rail line to a fifth station. This plan is facing stiff opposition as Mount Fuji is a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage Site and is seen as a "sacred mountain" by the Japanese. 

Above, the summit of Mt. Fuji during a stop while en route to a fifth station. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

The Japan News (Yomiuri Shimbun) reported: 

With Thursday marking the 10th anniversary of Mt. Fuji’s designation as a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage site, authorities are debating how to curb the number of tourists on Japan’s highest mountain and ease the environmental burden tourists create.

The government of Yamanashi Prefecture, which is located on the northern side of the 3,776-meter peak, is considering building a railway from Mt. Fuji’s foot to the fifth station on the existing Fuji Subaru Line toll road.

Although the prefecture plans to start technical surveys soon, some parties have expressed opposition, arguing that the mountain’s designation as a World Heritage site emphasizes its significance as a “sacred mountain.”

Yamanashi Prefecture is considering running a light rail transit (LRT) system on tracks to be laid on a 28-kilometer section of the Fuji Subaru Line toll road. An LRT is a low trolley with limited noise and shaking.

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