How Can We Prevent Reckless Mount Fuji Climbing by Foreign Visitors?
 
 
 
 
I’m a mountain enthusiast from Matsumoto City.
 
 
I am a mountaineer living in Japan, and I have climbed Mount Fuji more than 20 times.
 
 
This time, I’d like to talk about how we can prevent reckless climbing of Mount Fuji by foreign visitors.
 
 
Every year, foreign climbers attempting Mount Fuji with inadequate gear become a problem, are covered by the media, and unfortunately, accidents and rescues continue to occur.
 
 
How can we solve the issue of reckless Mount Fuji climbing by foreign visitors?
 
 
The key starting point, in my opinion, is to thoroughly interview foreign climbers who were rescued after getting lost or who nearly got into trouble on Mount Fuji.
 
 
Based on those interviews, we should analyze where and how to provide warnings so they effectively reach foreign visitors, and then implement targeted awareness campaigns.
 
 
I believe this would be an important step toward preventing reckless climbing.
(You might say this is already being done, but still…)
 
 
※The content of this blog reflects the personal opinions of an ordinary climber, “the mountain man from Matsumoto City.”
 
 
※This blog is written irresponsibly by an ordinary individual.
 
 
※While there are also reckless Japanese climbers and those who violate manners, this article focuses specifically on foreign visitors.
 
 
Now, let’s get into the discussion.
 
 
 
 
 

The Premise: Foreign Climbers on Mount Fuji Are Diverse

 
 
The Fuji Subaru Line 5th Station is one of the most crowded areas on Mount Fuji.
 
 
 
Since it is accessible by bus from the lowlands, it attracts a large number of tourists and climbers.
 
 
When you are there, you might even wonder, “Am I really in Japan?”
 
 
You hear more foreign languages than Japanese.
 
 
Those languages include English, Chinese, Korean, and many others.
 
 
The same is true on the trails—people from various countries speaking different languages.
 
 
In recent years, I personally feel that the number of Asian visitors has increased.
 
 
In short, foreign climbers on Mount Fuji come from a wide variety of backgrounds.
 
 
 
 
 

The Premise: They Have Strong Motivation and Initiative

 
 
Climbing a mountain abroad requires considerable motivation and initiative.
 
 
Even reaching the trailhead in a foreign country where you may not fully understand the language is a challenge.
 
 
Therefore, when considering safety measures, we must assume that foreign climbers are highly motivated and proactive individuals.
 
 
 
 
 

Interview Template

Here are the questions I believe should be asked to foreign climbers who were rescued or nearly got into trouble:
 
・Which country did you come from?
 
 
・How did you learn about Mount Fuji?
 
 
・What motivated you to climb Mount Fuji?
 
 
・How did you research access to the starting point?
 
 
・How did you actually travel to the starting point after arriving in Japan?
 
 
・How did you research the climbing route?
 
 
・How did you choose your route?
 
 
・Did you research required gear and estimated climbing time?
 
 
・What kind of climbing plan did you make?
 
 
・Where did your plan fail?
 
 
・Do you have climbing experience in your home country? (Elevation, time, actual duration)
 
 
・Do you have climbing experience in Japan?
 
 
・Was climbing Mount Fuji your main purpose of visiting Japan?
 
 
・Did you understand the difficulty of climbing Mount Fuji beforehand?
 
 
・What kind of warnings would have made you reconsider?
 
 
 
 
 

Purpose of Conducting Interviews

Through interviews, I believe we can identify the following:
 
 
 
 
 

① Where warnings should be placed to effectively reach foreign visitors

 
 
The earlier (and farther from Mount Fuji) warnings are delivered, the more effective they will be.
 
 
For example, if someone only learns about the difficulty of the climb after reaching the 5th Station, they are likely to think: “I’ve come all this way—I’ll just go as far as I can.”
 
 
Therefore, warnings should ideally reach people at earlier stages— their home country → point of entry into Japan → train/bus stations → trailhead.
 
 
More time to prepare means better decision-making.
 
 
By understanding how climbers reached Mount Fuji, we can identify the most effective points for communication.
 
 
 
 
 

② What content should be included in warnings

 
 
Interviews reveal the mindset of climbers who got into trouble.
 
 
 
Many may not even have recognized it as a serious mountaineering activity, or they simply lacked sufficient research.
 
 
Understanding their awareness helps create more effective warnings.
 
 
 
 
 

Requirements for Conducting Interviews

 
 
Naturally, interviewers must be able to communicate in foreign languages.
 
 
Not only English, but also Chinese, Korean, and others.
 
 
Since the subjects are rescued or at-risk climbers, mountain police should ideally conduct these interviews.
 
 
However, this raises concerns about manpower for local police in Yamanashi and Shizuoka.
 
 
If that is difficult, national-level involvement may be necessary.
 
 
 
 
 

Content of Warnings

Key warning points should include:
 
・Estimated time required to reach the summit
 
 
・Risk of freezing even in summer during severe weather
 
 
・Possibility of altitude sickness
 
 
・Danger of falling rocks and slips
 
 
・Need for proper gear (boots, rainwear, headlamp, etc.)
 
 
・High cost of rescue operations
 
 
 
 
These should be expanded based on interview findings.
 
 
 
 
 

Communicating the Difficulty of Mount Fuji Internationally

 
 
Many foreign visitors likely learn about Mount Fuji through TV programs or guidebooks in their home countries.
 
 
Therefore, Japan should request foreign media and publishers to accurately convey the difficulty of climbing Mount Fuji.
 
 
If Mount Fuji is featured, its dangers should also be emphasized.
 
 
This may require international cooperation.
 
 
Encouraging climbers who experienced trouble to share their stories on travel websites could also help.
 
 
 
 
 

Introducing Fees and a Permit System

Ultimately, requiring a climbing fee—like Mount Everest—may be the most effective solution.
 
However, many challenges exist:
 
・Legal framework for mandatory fees
 
・Whether to charge everyone, including Japanese climbers
 
・Installing barriers to prevent unauthorized entry
 
・Staffing entrance gates
 
・How to collect fees
 
・Setting the fee amount
 
・Handling administrative workload
 
・Use of collected funds
 
・Limiting the number of climbers (e.g., 2,000 per day)
 
・Balancing impacts on mountain huts
 
 
 
 
Clearly, this is not a simple issue.
 
 
 
 
 

Conclusion

We have discussed how to prevent reckless Mount Fuji climbing by foreign visitors.
 
Diversity of foreign climbers
 
Their strong motivation
 
Interview templates
 
Purpose of interviews
 
Requirements for interviews
 
Warning content
 
International communication
 
Fees and permit system
 
 
 
 
It is extremely difficult to inform all foreign visitors in advance about the challenges of Mount Fuji.
 
 
It would be unreasonable to expect only Yamanashi and Shizuoka to handle this issue.
 
 
Foreign climbers also impact mountain hut businesses and local economies.
 
 
However, the continued presence of underprepared climbers indicates that current awareness efforts are insufficient.
 
 
Japan—as the host country of this World Heritage site—must take responsibility.
 
 
Mount Fuji is a symbol of Japan and a unique treasure.
 
 
It is wonderful that people from around the world want to climb it.
 
 
But its difficulty is not well understood internationally.
 
 
Climbers should fully understand the challenges, reach the summit safely, and return without incident—that is the ideal outcome.
 
 
This was an irresponsible reflection by an ordinary climber.
 
 
 
 
See you in the next mountain talk!!
 
 
 
 
 
“I’ve published a blog post here titled ‘Mt. Fuji Goods Feature: A Curated Selection of Recommended Artworks, Crafts, and Interior Decor.’”
 
 
 
 
 
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