[ti:Climbers Will Have to Pay to Climb Mount Fuji]
[al:As It Is]
[ar:VOA]
[dt:2024-05-30]
[by:www.voase.cn]
[00:00.00]The local officials protecting Mount Fuji are making changes to protect its natural beauty and the safety of people climbing it.
[00:11.43]Those who want to hike one of the most popular paths, or trails, on Japan's famous Mount Fuji will have to buy a ticket starting on July 1.
[00:23.68]Officials aim to reduce crowds, littering and climbers who rush too quickly to the top.
[00:30.86]The Mount Fuji climbing season lasts from July 1 to September 10.
[00:37.96]The system for buying tickets is for those walking on the Yoshida Trail. 
[00:43.04]It is on the side of the 3,776-meter-high mountain that is within Yamanashi Prefecture.
[00:51.53]Climbers can also climb the mountain in Shizuoka prefecture, southwest of Mount Fuji.
[00:59.15]Shizuoka has requested a voluntary fee of about $6 per climber since 2014 and is looking for ways to balance tourism and environmental protection.
[01:12.06]Mount Fuji is a stratovolcano, a tall, steep-sided mountain formed by layers of volcanic materials such as ash and lava. 
[01:22.50]UNESCO chose it as a World Cultural Heritage site in 2013.
[01:29.41]The new rules will permit only 4,000 climbers to enter the trail per day for a hiking fee of about $18.
[01:37.63]Yamanashi prefecture officials said 3,000 of those tickets will be available on the internet and the other 1,000 can be bought in person on the day of the climb.
[01:51.42]Hikers may also give an additional amount for protecting the mountain's natural resources. 
[01:57.66]Climbers can request tickets on the Mount Fuji Climbing website. 
[02:02.48]The Environment Ministry and the mountain's two home prefectures, Yamanashi and Shizuoka, operate the site.
[02:12.56]Mount Fuji has three main trails. 
[02:15.57]There are 10 stations.
[02:17.71]Each is at a different height, or altitude. 
[02:21.51]Most hikers begin at the "5th station," where there is a bus stop. 
[02:27.60]Under the new system, climbers must choose between a day hike or an overnight stay at a shelter along the trail. 
[02:36.56]Hikers who reach the 5th station after 4 p.m. and are not staying overnight have to go back down.
[02:44.38]This rule is to stop "bullet climbing," or rushing to the top without enough rest. 
[02:51.33]Traveling to a high point too quickly can cause altitude sickness which includes headaches, dizziness and nausea.
[02:59.93]A symbol of Japan, the mountain called "Fujisan" was once thought of as a holy volcano.
[03:09.51]Today, many hikers climb to the top to see the sunrise.
[03:13.94]To see the sunrise, hikers often stay at a shelter at the 7th or 8th station and climb to the top in the early morning darkness.
[03:25.20]Hiking in the dark increases the chance of injury.
[03:29.63]But a major problem is the large amount of waste people have left behind: plastic bottles, food, and even clothing.
[03:39.84]The Environment Ministry reports that during the climbing season in 2023, over 220,000 people went up Mount Fuji. 
[03:50.54]That is close to the pre-pandemic level and officials expect more visitors this year.
[03:57.19]Last year, more than 25 million visitors came to Japan. 
[04:02.21]The Japan National Tourism Organization expects that number to rise in 2024 to over 32 million.
[04:12.20]I'm Jill Robbins.