Japan's tallest peak opened for the 2024 climbing season on Monday with one crucial change: now it's for ticket holders only. - REUTERS
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00:00Japan's Mount Fuji, an icon of the country and its tallest peak, is now for ticket holders only.
00:08This new gate at the trailhead opened for the first time at 3 a.m. on Monday.
00:13It's a reaction to what local authorities say is a recent surge of inbound tourists from overseas
00:21that's led to both harm to Fuji's environment and, they say, an uptick in the number of underprepared climbers in need of rescue.
00:28Now, if you want to journey up the mountain, you'll need to pay a 2,000 yen fee, about $12.
00:34That nets you a wristband granting access between 3 in the morning and 4 p.m.
00:39But once 4,000 people pass through the gate, entry is restricted.
00:43On Monday, Japanese hikers were supportive of the move.
00:48I think Mount Fuji will be very happy if everyone is more conscious about the environment
00:52and things like taking rubbish home with them.
00:55I think having a system where you reserve in advance is good.
00:58I think it'd get dangerous if there were too many people.
01:02Authorities say there are exceptions to the limit.
01:05Those with reservations for mountain huts closer to Fuji's peak,
01:09where people often rest if they split the hike over two days, will be able to pass outside those hours.
01:14In explaining the fees, Yamanashi Prefecture Governor Kotaro Nagasaki told reporters last month
01:21that the country should focus on attracting, quote,
01:24higher spending visitors over sheer masses of people.
01:27Japan has seen a record pace of inbound tourism.
01:30This last May saw a surge in arrivals, some 60 percent up from the year before,
01:35and nearly 10 percent higher than May 2019.
01:39The country's currency is the weakest it's been in decades,
01:42enticing visitors pent up from years of lockdowns and eager to get more for their money.
01:47This surge has raised worries of over-tourism at hotspots around Japan.
01:51And this week isn't even the first measure taken tied to Mount Fuji.
01:55In May, officials set up an eight-foot-high barrier to block sight of the mountain
01:59behind a Lawson's convenience store,
02:01which had gone viral for views of it set against Fuji as a backdrop.
02:05Locals had complained that visitors refused to obey rules on littering and parking.