Authorities governing the northern part of Mount Fuji, in Japan's Yamanashi prefecture, have announced that individuals requiring helicopter rescue during off-peak climbing seasons will be charged for the service starting next year. This initiative is part of a broader set of measures designed to discourage reckless and inadequately prepared climbers.
The off-peak season for Mount Fuji extends from early September to July of the following year. Yamanashi authorities will also mandate that climbers planning to ascend during this period submit detailed climbing plans.
Yamanashi Governor Kotaro Nagasaki stated on Monday, "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." Officials in both Yamanashi and the neighbouring Shizuoka prefecture, which oversees the southern part of Fuji, have observed an increase in off-season and unplanned climbs, some of which have resulted in climbers becoming stranded.
A reference fee of 8,000 yen ($51; £38) per five minutes is already in effect in Saitama prefecture for other mountainous regions. Shizuoka authorities have indicated they will impose penalties on those who do not register off-season climbing attempts and will intensify efforts to keep climbers out of restricted zones, though they did not announce a helicopter rescue fee.
Mount Fuji's official climbing season runs from July to early September, attracting approximately 200,000 hikers annually. Climbing outside these months is strongly discouraged, as most mountain huts and toilet facilities are closed, and weather and trail conditions are typically more severe.