Mount Fuji Climbing Season Opens

Mount Fuji's climbing season officially opened on Wednesday as two of the four main hiking trails welcomed visitors. Climbers who reached the summit were rewarded with a spectacular sunrise breaking through the clouds around 4:30 a.m. in favorable weather conditions.

To manage the increasing number of visitors, Yamanashi Prefecture has installed two self-service payment kiosks at the 5th station on the popular Yoshida Trail. These kiosks allow climbers to pay the 4,000 yen entrance fee on-site, reducing congestion for those who haven't preregistered online. The Subashiri Trail on the Shizuoka side also opened earlier than in previous years.

Despite recent challenges including a strong earthquake and two typhoons near Japan, visitor numbers remained high. Jasper Overall, a 26-year-old Australian student, expressed relief at experiencing the sunrise after worrying about the typhoon. Last year, the Yoshida Trail saw 121,068 climbers, a 5.4 percent increase from the previous year.

Both prefectures have introduced various regulations to address concerns about unprepared hikers and the surge in foreign tourists. The mountain, a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage site since 2013, will remain open until September 10.