Chances have increased that Mount Fuji will become a World Heritage site in June following an April 30 recommendation by a UNESCO panel. The International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS) noted that the volcano is a national symbol of Japan and blends religious and artistic traditions.
Mount Fuji is regarded as a symbol of nature worship in Japan and has long served as a source of artistic inspiration, including in ukiyo-e woodblock prints by such artists as Katsushika Hokusai and Utagawa Hiroshige.
It is expected that once the 3,776-meter high volcano becomes a World Heritage site, the number visitors will rapidly increase. About 300,000 people climb Mount Fuji every summer, and several million people visit its fifth station every year by bus or car.