Politics & Diplomacy
Hashimoto to retract sex suggestion for U.S. military
Osaka Mayor Toru Hashimoto aims to retract his remark that U.S. servicemen in Okinawa should use its adult entertainment industry to avoid committing sex offenses.
National May 17, 2013
Panel calls for evacuation plans for volcanic disasters
A government panel called on the central and local governments Thursday to draw up evacuation plans for large-scale volcanic disasters. The Cabinet Office panel, chaired by Toshitsugu Fujii, a professor emeritus at the University of Tokyo, submitted the same day what are considered the ...
Media | BIG IN JAPAN May 12, 2013
Will Mount Fuji celebrate World Heritage status by blowing its top?
by Mark Schreiber
On May 1, Japan's Agency for Cultural Affairs announced it had received notification that Mount Fuji had been recommended for World Heritage status by the UNESCO-affiliated International Council on Monuments and Sites. Formal approval is expected at the World Heritage Committee meeting in Cambodia ...
National May 11, 2013
Jump in Fuji sightings since '60s points to cleaner, drier air: school survey
Mount Fuji has become far more visible from Tokyo than half a century ago, possibly because the air around the capital has become cleaner and drier, a long-term survey by schools in Tokyo says. Using a fixed point in the city of Musashino, western ...
National May 2, 2013
Heritage status will mean big changes
by Eric Johnston
Local and prefectural governments and businesses surrounding Mount Fuji welcomed the news that the World Heritage Committee is expected to designate Japan’s most famous and popular mountain as a World Heritage site, despite concerns about what it will mean to the local environment and ...
Corporate May 2, 2013
Hotelier's share price shoots up on good news
An operator of amusement parks and hotels at the foot of Mount Fuji saw its share price spike Wednesday after a UNESCO panel recommended that the iconic peak be granted World Heritage status. Shares in Fujikyuko Co. closed at ¥1,065, hitting its daily limit ...
National May 1, 2013
Mount Fuji on verge of World Heritage listing
A UNESCO panel urges that World Heritage status be granted to Mount Fuji, putting the iconic peak on a direct path to registration as early as June.
National Apr 5, 2013
Hikers may be kept off Fuji except in summer
As Japan waits to hear in June the fate of its bid to win World Heritage status for iconic Mount Fuji, Shizuoka Prefecture, Yamanashi Prefecture and the central government are jointly trying to come up with a new guideline to increase safety that may ...
National Jan 30, 2013
Fuji eruption could force 567,000 people to evacuate
An eruption of Mount Fuji could force some 567,000 people to evacuate their homes, according to a new estimate. The projection is part of an evacuation plan crafted by the Shizuoka Prefectural Government that also says more than 130,000 people, comprising some 50,000 households, ...
Reference | FYI Jan 8, 2008
An up-close view of Mount Fuji
by Reiji Yoshida
Mount Fuji is the most beloved mountain in Japan — an honor it has held since the dawn of history. A sacred place for monks and climbers and one of the most popular spots for visitors from abroad, it is the very symbol of ...