Lately, a lot of attention has been focused on the problem of waste left behind on mountains by alpinists and hikers. Mount Everest is said to be almost a dump and Mount Fuji a national disgrace. However, the problem of trash and environmental pollution afflicts even smaller peaks.
This week, NHK's nature series "Chikyu Daisuki (Loving the Earth)" (NHK-G, Sat., 11 a.m.) will report on efforts to clean up Mount Hayachine in Iwate Prefecture and protect it from destructive refuse. As with many mountains, the main culprit is human waste, which seeps into the ground and contaminates not only the soil, but the underground water system as well. Hayachine is famous in Japan as a kind of sanctuary for high-altitude plants and flowers, and is particularly popular among middle-aged and elderly hikers, a group that is swelling as baby boomers reach retirement age.
The toilets that have been installed on the mountain collect the waste, but it is extremely difficult to transfer it to a processing station, since this involves carrying the waste down the mountain by hand. Several years ago, the authority that oversees the mountain began asking climbers to carry "portable toilets," which means each climber must carry his or her own waste up and down the mountain. The program, which is narrated by world-famous alpinist Junko Tabe, looks at the success of the cleanup program.