Mount Fuji to Charge for Off-Season Rescue Services Starting Next Year

Starting next year, individuals who attempt to climb Mount Fuji during the off-peak season and require helicopter rescue will be charged for the service, according to authorities in Yamanashi prefecture. The fee is part of a series of measures aimed at discouraging reckless and unprepared climbers. A similar fee of 8,000 yen ($51; £38) per five minutes is already implemented in Saitama prefecture for other mountainous areas and will serve as a reference for Yamanashi. Additionally, climbers planning to scale Mount Fuji during the off-season, which lasts from early September to July of the following year, will be required to submit detailed climbing plans. Yamanashi Governor Kotaro Nagasaki stated, "We ask the general public to refrain from climbing during the off-season. We hope that these measures will cause people to rethink what climbing Mount Fuji during the winter is like." Authorities in Yamanashi and neighboring Shizuoka prefecture have reported an increase in off-season and unplanned climbs, some resulting in stranded climbers. Shizuoka officials plan to impose penalties on those who do not register their off-season climbing attempts and will enhance efforts to prevent climbers from entering restricted areas. They have not announced a fee for helicopter rescues. The official climbing season for Mount Fuji runs from July to early September, attracting approximately 200,000 hikers annually. Climbing outside of this period is discouraged, although it is permitted up to the fifth of ten stations. Most mountain huts and toilet facilities are closed during the off-season, and weather and trail conditions can be more severe.