Japan's Tourism Boom Stirs Accident Jitters

Above, climbers with lanterns climb Mt. Fuji at night. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

In recent weeks, accidents at U.S. national parks have been making news. Just last week, a woman fell off a mountain at Grand Teton National Park to her death. There have been other accidents as well.

Concerns over similar accidents by climbers of Japan's Mount Fuji has made the news today.

From Nikkei Asia:

TOKYO -- As foreign visitors return to Japan in droves for the first summer since 2019, authorities in the country are bracing for another potential surge -- in the number of accidents at tourism magnet Mount Fuji and on the nation's roads.

According to the Japan National Tourism Organization, the estimated number of foreigners who visited the country in June exceeded 2.07 million, more than 16 times the same period last year when arrivals were heavily restricted by travel curbs designed to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

As for Mount Fuji, according to the Ministry of the Environment around 42,000 climbers visited Japan's iconic peak in the first 16 days of July. That represents a jump of 40% from the comparable number four years ago, the last summer before Japan introduced travel restrictions to combat the spread of COVID-19.

Though not typically considered a dangerous climb, Mount Fuji can be problematic for some. In a regular year, more than 1,000 visitors get lost during the summer climbing season. Some visitors attempt what's called a "bullet climb" -- going up and down without reserving spaces to stay overnight in mountain huts -- without bringing enough equipment and without proper planning.

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