Mount Fuji Officially Closes, Barricades Placed

Above, a view of Mount Fuji from a Shinkansen train. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Thanks to COVID-19, the governments of Shizuoka and Yamanashi have packed up Mount Fuji and put it into storage for the remainder of the year.

Well, not exactly, but the mountain is now officially closed.

SoraNews 24 reported:

In an ordinary year, we’d be just a few weeks away from the start of Mt. Fuji’s climbing season, with hikers headed up Japan’s tallest mountain to rise above the summer heat and appreciate the country’s natural beauty from a one-of-a-kind vantage point. 

2020 has been anything but ordinary, though, with the coronavirus disrupting just about all aspects of life. So instead of officially opening the mountain to hikers on July 10, as had been the plan, the governments of Shizuoka and Yamanashi Prefectures recently announced that Mt. Fuji (which straddles the border between the two prefectures) will be closed to visitors for the entire summer, and in effect the remainder of the year, since the climbing season was scheduled to end on September 10. 

They’re serious about the restriction, too. This week Yamanashi’s Fujiyoshida City, where the Yoshida Trail (one of the most popular routes to the peak) starts, installed barricades to prevent hikers from making their way up Fuji’s slopes.

 To read more, go here.

All Mt. Fuji Hikers Have To Pay ¥1,000 This Summer

Above, a shinkansen view of Mount Fuji. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

For those who plan to hike on Japan's Mount Fuji, but don't plan on going all the way to the summit, will still have to pay a ¥1,000 donation.

News On Japan reported:

Even hikers who have no intention of reaching the summit of Mount Fuji will be asked to make a donation of ¥1,000 for stepping foot on the country’s highest mountain from this summer, local prefectures said Thursday. 

Shizuoka and Yamanashi prefectures, which the 3,776-meter-high volcanic mountain straddles, will aim to secure more income to help preserve the environment and fund trail safety measures at the UNESCO World Heritage site.

To read more, go here.

Mt. Fuji-Shizuoka Area Tourist Pass Mini

Above, a ferry on Lake Ashii. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Some of the most scenic areas of Japan is the Mount Fuji-Shizuoka area of Japan.

G-TOUR 2004 paid a visit there, which included going to one of the Fifth Stations on Mount Fuji, a fireworks festival at Lake Kawaguchi, an overnight stay in Hakone and a boat ride on Lake Ashii.

Above, the fireworks festival at Lake Kawaguchi in 2004. Photo from video by Armand Vaquer.

The Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO) as a new tourist pass for the Mount Fuji-Shizuoka area.

They announced:

Central Japan Railway Company successfully launched the Takayama-Hokuriku Area Tourist Pass and Alpine-Takayama-Matsumoto Area Tourist Pass in efforts to attract more overseas tourists to the Shoryudo region of Japan. 

The newly-launched Mt-Fuji-Shizuoka Area Tourist Pass Mini allows overseas visitors to tour the Shizuoka area focusing on Mt Fuji. 

Enjoy a trip to Shizuoka, full of great tourist attractions and feast your eyes on the magnificent Mt Fuji while taking rail, bus and ferry.

Above, a view of Mount Fuji from the shinkansen. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

I am planning a return visit to the Mount Fuji-Hakone area during my next Japan trip, so this will come in quite handy!

For more information on the tourist pass, go here.

Mount Fuji Evacuation Route Maps Released

Above, a shinkansen view of Mount Fuji. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

With the eruptions of different peaks in Japan in recent years in mind, evacuation route maps for Mount Fuji have been released for climbers.

The Asahi Shimbun reported:

SHIZUOKA--Although Mount Fuji has not erupted in 300 years, the sudden eruption of Mount Ontakesan in 2014 has prompted the Shizuoka prefectural government to release maps of evacuation routes for climbers of the World Heritage site. 

Based on past eruptions of Mount Fuji, the “Evacuation route maps” assume six eruption patterns and shows evacuation routes for each. 

The prefectural government plans to make the maps widely available among climbers, who are allowed on Mount Fuji from July to September, through its website and other means. 

The last major eruption of the 3,776-meter peak, which straddles Shizuoka and Yamanashi prefectures in central Japan, occurred in 1707.

To read more, go here. 

New Mount Fuji Suspended Skywalk Set To Open

Above, a shinkansen view of Mount Fuji. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

For those of you who just can't get enough of Fuji-san, there's a new tourist attraction that is about to open on December 14.

According to the Asahi Shimbun:

MISHIMA, Shizuoka Prefecture--The nation’s longest cable-suspended pedestrian bridge is set to open to the public here on Dec. 14, offering breathtaking views of Mount Fuji, Suruga Bay and the peaks of the Izu Peninsula. 

The Hakone-seiroku Mishima Grand Suspension Bridge, nicknamed “Mishima Sky Walk,” cost 4 billion yen ($33 million) to construct. 

The private-sector project is expected to create a new tourism attraction in the Sasahara-shinden district of Mishima. At its highest point, Mishima Sky Walk hovers 70.6 meters above the ground, offering spectacular vistas of the surrounding countryside.

The article states that the skywalk is 400 meters long. Just hope you aren't afraid of heights.

 To read more, go here.

Fee Being Considered To Hike Mount Fuji

Above, the top of Mount Fuji from the timberline.  Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Hiking up Mount Fuji to view the next morning's sunrise during the warm weather months is becoming an increasingly popular activity for Japanese and non-Japanese.

The Japan Times is reporting that the governor of Shizuoka is considering levying a fee for this activity:

SHIZUOKA — Shizuoka Gov. Heita Kawakatsu is considering the introduction of an "entrance fee" for climbers scaling Mount Fuji and may even limit their numbers as part of efforts to preserve its environment and landscape. 

"Environment protection requires money. We need to think of ways to collect funds and how to use them for (environmental) conservation," Kawakatsu said Friday.

Actually, I am surprised that a fee had not already been levied on hikers.

For more, go here.