Tag - mountaineering

 
 

MOUNTAINEERING

A gate to check climbers at Mount Fuji's fifth station in Fujiyoshida, Yamanashi Prefecture, on June 13. Climbers who do not have the necessary climbing equipment may be barred from using the trails.
JAPAN / Society
Jun 30, 2025
Mount Fuji’s ¥4,000 entrance fee kicks in for all routes
Climbers paid ¥2,000 to scale the mountain via the popular Yoshida trail last year, while those who made the journey through other routes did not have to pay anything.
Mount Fuji is considered one of Japan's most iconic symbols and is a major draw for tourists. It's still a mountain, though, and potential hikers need to properly prepare for any climb.
JAPAN / Society / Longform
Jun 30, 2025
What it takes to save lives on Mount Fuji
Mount Fuji’s deadliest weekend still echoes today. Luckily, area rescue squads have leveled up their game.
Huascaran, the highest peak in Peru
JAPAN
Jun 27, 2025
Japanese climber dies on Peru's highest peak
Chiaki Inada, a 40-year-old doctor, became unable to move due to poor health apparently caused by hypothermia.
According to the National Police Agency, Japan recorded 2,946 mountain-related accidents last year involving 3,357 individuals.
JAPAN
Jun 19, 2025
Police agency records 3,357 people in mountain accidents last year
The number of fatalities and missing persons in 2024 stood at 300, a decrease of 35 from the previous year.
For Isamu Tatsuno, the founder and CEO of outdoor gear maker Montbell, his youth was all about reaching the pinnacle. Today, he’s far more interested in enjoying the journey.
BUSINESS / Companies
Jun 9, 2025
Montbell founder went from a feeble boy to a renowned mountaineer
Drawing on his experience as a climber, Isamu Tatsuno planned ahead for the survival of his outdoor gear and clothing company. It paid off.
Mount Fuji fills the skyline above a bridge connecting stores at a popular outlet shopping center in the city of Gotemba, Shizuoka Prefecture, in November 2024.
JAPAN / Society
May 15, 2025
Irresponsible climbing prompts debate over who should pay for Mount Fuji rescues
Rescue teams put themselves in grave danger, and the cost of flying a helicopter for a rescue can be up to between ¥600,000 and ¥800,000.
Junko Tabei, the first woman to summit Mount Everest, makes front-page news on May 18, 1975.
JAPAN / History / Japan Times Gone By
May 3, 2025
Japan Times 1975: Junko Tabei becomes first woman to summit Mount Everest
A 35-year-old housewife from Saitama achieved the impressive feat in May 1975 with the help of a Sherpa guide and 15-member Japanese women’s team.
Climbers gather on the first day of the climbing season on the Yoshida Trail at the fifth station on the slopes of Mount Fuji in Fujiyoshida, Yamanashi Prefecture, on July 1, 2024.
JAPAN
Apr 28, 2025
Man rescued from Mount Fuji twice in one week, local media reports
Police could not immediately confirm reports saying the man had returned on Friday to retrieve his phone.
The reservation system is aimed at reducing congestion and preventing people from climbing Japan's tallest mountain in casual clothes.
JAPAN
Apr 17, 2025
Bookings for climbing Mount Fuji this season to begin April 24
To make reservations to enter the Yoshida Trail on the Yamanashi side of the mountain, climbers are required to pay an entrance fee of ¥4,000 per person in advance.
A eulogy is read during a memorial service for the victims of the Nasu avalanche in Otawara City, Tochigi Prefecture, on Saturday.
JAPAN
Mar 22, 2025
Victims mourned eight years after 2017 deadly Tochigi avalanche
The ceremony, held at Tochigi Prefectural Otawara High School, was attended by about 50 people.
Tourists gather at the Fuji Subaru Line 5th station, which leads to the popular Yoshida Trail for hikers climbing Mount Fuji, ahead of its reopening for the season in Narusawa, Yamanashi Prefecture in June 2024.
JAPAN / Society
Mar 17, 2025
Mount Fuji hikers to be charged ¥4,000 on all trails
Yamanashi Prefecture is doubling its ¥2,000 ($14) entry fee for the Yoshida Trail, while Shizuoka Prefecture will charge the same amount for its three trails.
Climbers on the slopes of Mount Fuji in Fujiyoshida, Yamanashi Prefecture, in July. The prefecture implemented a ¥2,000 fee per climber starting last year, while neighboring Shizuoka Prefecture is planning to collect ¥4,000 per climber starting in 2025.
JAPAN
Dec 13, 2024
Shizuoka Prefecture aims to collect ¥4,000 from all Mount Fuji climbers
The proposal for an entry fee for Japan's highest mountain is designed to ease congestion at the site and prevent dangerous attempts to scale the peak.
Mount Fuji, as seen from Saiko Lake in Fujikawaguchiko, Yamanashi Prefecture, on Nov. 7
JAPAN
Nov 25, 2024
Yamanashi Prefecture plans to raise entry fee for Mount Fuji climbers
The prefectural government of Yamanashi plans to raise the entry fee for Mount Fuji climbers from the current ¥2,000 to between ¥3,000 and ¥5,000, sources said Monday.
A sign with a photo of Mount Fuji covered in snow is seen at a view point as the mountain looms in the background in Gotemba, Shizuoka Prefecture, on Oct. 31.
JAPAN
Nov 22, 2024
Shizuoka considers charging each Mount Fuji climber up to ¥5,000
The fees is designed to prevent overcrowding on trails and discourage dangerous overnight attempts to scale the mountain.
Ondrej Huserka, a member of the Slovak national mountaineering team who had climbed in the Alps, Patagonia, Pamir Mountains and Himalayas, fell into a crevasse on Langtang Lirung peak in Nepal on Thursday.
WORLD
Nov 3, 2024
Top Slovak mountaineer dies in Nepal after historic ascent
Ondrej Huserka, a member of the Slovak national mountaineering team, fell into a crevasse on Thursday.
Hikers pass through a temporary gate set up at the fifth station of the Yoshida Trail on Mount Fuji in Yamanashi Prefecture in July.
JAPAN
Sep 17, 2024
Mount Fuji restrictions reduce dangerous overnight climbs
Around 200,000 people climbed Japan's tallest mountain in this year's season, down 10% from last year.
A gate at the fifth station of Mount Fuji's Yoshida Trail in Fujiyoshida, Yamanashi Prefecture, is closed Tuesday as this year's climbing season ended.
JAPAN / Society
Sep 11, 2024
Authorities say cap on Mount Fuji hikers achieved goals as season ends
Yamanashi introduced a daily limit of 4,000 climbers and ¥2,000 fee this season, in hopes of clamping down on "bullet climbing" and easing congestion.
Climbers converge in front of Mount Fuji's 5th Station, which leads to the popular Yoshida trail, in Narusawa, Yamanashi Prefecture, on Aug. 11.
JAPAN / Society / FOCUS
Aug 20, 2024
Mount Fuji’s new measures bear fruit in tackling dangerous 'bullet climbing'
Restrictions implemented on the popular Yoshida trail have significantly reduced the number of "bullet climbers" and reduced bad behavior associated with the practice.
Mountain climber Kazuya Hiraide, from Nagano Prefecture. Hiraide and his climbing partner, Kenro Nakajima, fell 7,000 meters while climbing K2. He was 45.
JAPAN
Aug 1, 2024
Rescue called off for two Japanese climbers falling from K2
The two were spotted from a helicopter, but it could not land to retrieve them due to the steep location and other logistical problems.
Kenro Nakajima, one of two elite Japanese mountain climbers who fell from Pakistan's K2 on Saturday.
JAPAN
Jul 28, 2024
Two Japanese climbers fall from Pakistan's K2
K2's western face is a more vertical and exposed rock face, and has only been successfully scaled once before by a Russian team in 2007.

Longform

Mount Fuji is considered one of Japan's most iconic symbols and is a major draw for tourists. It's still a mountain, though, and potential hikers need to properly prepare for any climb.
What it takes to save lives on Mount Fuji