The climbing season for Mount Fuji kicks off in phases from Tuesday with all routes — from both Shizuoka and Yamanashi prefectures — charging an entrance fee of ¥4,000 ($28) to combat overtourism and make the experience more sustainable.
This is the first time that all four trails up the iconic mountain are charging the same entrance fee.
Last year, climbers had to pay ¥2,000 to scale Mount Fuji via the Yoshida trail, which originates in Yamanashi, during the climbing season, which spans from July to early September, while those making the trek through three other trails originating in Shizuoka did not have to fork out anything.
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