Yamanashi to Charge Off-Season Mt. Fuji Climbers for Heli Rescues

Shizuoka, Sept. 14 (Jiji Press)–Yamanashi Prefecture, west of Tokyo, said Monday that it will charge off-season Mount Fuji climbers for rescues using its helicopters, aiming to implement this measure in September 2027. The measure has been requested by mayors of local municipalities and others, following a series of cases in which off-season climbers were stranded on the mountain, which is usually open to climbers from early July to early September. The prefecture will also establish a system requiring people to submit notices before climbing to the sixth station or higher on the mountain. Helicopter rescue charges will be reduced or waived for climbers who submit notices and take thorough safety measures. “I want people to stop regarding (off-season climbing) as an easy leisure activity,” Yamanashi Governor Kotaro Nagasaki told a press conference Monday. The neighboring prefecture of Shizuoka has also indicated plans to require people to file notices before climbing Mount Fuji as a measure to reduce accidents. It plans to penalize those who fail to submit notices. Shizuoka will also continue to consider whether to charge climbers for helicopter rescues. END [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]