Japan to charge rescue fee on Mount Fuji during off season
Yamanashi prefecture in Japan will introduce a fee for helicopter rescues of off-season climbers on Mount Fuji starting next year. The measure is part of a broader effort to discourage reckless climbing during dangerous winter conditions.
Why it matters
The policy addresses the growing safety risks and resource strain caused by the increasing number of unprepared hikers attempting to climb the mountain outside the official season.
Image source, Getty Images Image caption, The fee is among a series of measures Yamanashi prefecture is introducing to deter reckless climbers
From next year, people who attempt to climb Mount Fuji during off-peak seasons and then require rescue by helicopter will have to pay for the service, authorities governing the northern part of the peak say.
The fee is among a series of measures Japan's Yamanashi prefecture is introducing to deter reckless and poorly prepared climbers.
A similar fee of 8,000 yen ($51; £38) per five minutes is already in place in nearby Saitama prefecture for other mountainous areas and will be used as a reference.
Yamanashi authorities will also require those looking to scale Fuji during the off-season, which runs from early September to July the following year, to submit detailed climbing plans.
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