YAMANASHI, Jun 09, 2026 –
Foreign vacationers proceed to climb Mount Fuji regardless of strict entry restrictions forward of the official climbing season, prompting native officers to resume requires harder penalties and requiring climbers to pay for rescue operations performed in the course of the mountain’s closed interval.
At Mount Fuji’s fifth station on June ninth, thick fog surrounded the realm as authorities ready for the mountain’s official opening on July 1st, lower than three weeks away. Signs and boundaries in a number of languages, together with Japanese, English, and Chinese, had been put in at path entrances warning guests that entry was prohibited.
Under street laws, climbing routes from the fifth station to the summit are presently closed. Nevertheless, overseas vacationers continued to look all through the day aspiring to climb the mountain.
One customer from Canada mentioned he had lately accomplished the ascent regardless of an estimated climbing time of 10 hours. “I made it in six and a half or seven hours. I have GPS, so if anything happens, I’m fully prepared,” he mentioned.
The reporting staff additionally encountered a Spanish couple trying to climb Mount Fuji for the primary time. After being knowledgeable that climbing was presently prohibited, the girl replied, “We’re mountain guides and he’s my partner. We have the knowledge needed to go up and come down safely. The most important thing is knowing when to turn back.”
However, when requested whether or not the boundaries blocking the path entrance would function that turning level, she rejected the thought.
“Mount Fuji is a mountain I should climb. We’ll go up in three hours and come down in two. This is easy. I don’t think there’s anything dangerous about it. It’s more like hiking than mountain climbing. We have to go now,” she mentioned earlier than ignoring warnings from the reporting staff and continuing onto the path.
The pair slipped previous a wall erected to dam entry and disappeared onto the mountain.
Opinions amongst overseas guests diversified. Some argued that climbing was acceptable with correct preparation and gear, whereas others mentioned there could be no downside if climbers exercised warning. Others mentioned they might respect the principles and keep away from climbing when the mountain was formally closed.
A person who visits Mount Fuji each week mentioned he had even seen overseas guests climbing the mountain in cosplay costumes.
Growing frustration over low season climbing has been fueled by a sequence of accidents on Mount Fuji’s snow-covered slopes. Fujinomiya Mayor Hidetada Sudo criticized climbers who ignore restrictions regardless of the hazards posed by winter situations.
“Climbing during the closed season means entering a winter mountain where snow remains. There is a significant risk of becoming stranded or injured,” Sudo mentioned. “Mountaineers often say they climb because the mountain is there, but that is their own personal reasoning. I want them to understand our position as local residents who do not want people climbing.”
Rescue footage launched by Yamanashi Prefectural Police confirmed emergency personnel carrying a lady who suffered facial fractures after slipping on a snow-covered slope in late April. The footage confirmed rescuers rigorously navigating freezing temperatures and powerful winds whereas stopping additional falls in the course of the operation.
Accidents have additionally occurred on the Shizuoka aspect of Mount Fuji. In 2025, a complete of 45 climbers required rescue in Shizuoka Prefecture, together with 9 incidents that occurred exterior the official climbing season.
Because municipalities bear the price of such rescue operations, Sudo is urging the nationwide authorities to revise the legislation and require climbers rescued in the course of the closed season to pay the prices themselves.
“I want penalties to be tougher,” Sudo mentioned. “Rescue costs should be the responsibility of those who choose to climb. The law should be changed so people understand that if they get into trouble and need to be rescued, they will have to cover the expense themselves. We cannot allow people to assume someone else will pay.”
Sudo additionally criticized a petition marketing campaign by some climbers looking for higher understanding for low season ascents.
“Mountaineers may have dreams and feel proud about climbing Mount Fuji, but from the perspective of local communities it causes problems,” he mentioned. “The people who go to rescue them are risking their own lives, so I want them to stop.”
With Mount Fuji’s official opening approaching on July 1st, authorities are calling on guests to respect the principles and wait till the designated climbing season begins.
Source: FNN