Alpinist Ken Noguchi was devastated by Mount Fuji's designation as a UNESCO World Heritage site last year because the mountain's problems, including its excessive garbage and the irresponsible people who climb and manage it, had not been resolved.
"When Mount Fuji was designated on the list, people immediately thought that the mountain had received a 100 percent appraisal as is. People thought the mountain was completely clear of garbage, but that is not the case," Noguchi said in a recent interview.
In his book "Sekai Isan ni Sarete Fujisan wa Naiteiru" ("Mount Fuji is Crying, Being Made a World Heritage Site"), published in June, Noguchi warns nothing is being done to preserve the volcano.