Latest news with #UNESCOWorldCulturalHeritage
Japan Today
10-07-2025
- Japan Today
Final 3 Mount Fuji trails open; ¥4,000 fee charged for all climbers
The climbing season on Mount Fuji began in full on Thursday as all three trails on the Shizuoka Prefecture side were opened, with all local authorities charging an entrance fee of 4,000 yen. The most commonly used trail, in neighboring Yamanashi Prefecture, opened on July 1. Both prefectures have introduced measures to discourage overnight "bullet climbing," or trying to reach the summit of the 3,776-meter mountain, Japan's highest, in the dark without sleeping in a trailside hut. The Yoshida trail on the Yamanashi side of the mountain, as well as the Fujinomiya, Gotemba and Subashiri trails on the Shizuoka side are expected to remain open through Sept 10. "I couldn't climb last year because of a typhoon, but I want to see the sunrise on the mountain and then return home," said 45-year-old Yuji Asato from Yokohama. From this climbing season, Shizuoka Prefecture started collecting the entrance fee and restricting access to its three trails from 2 p.m. to 3 a.m., while Yamanashi Prefecture has doubled the payment from 2,000 yen charged the previous year to ease overcrowding and reduce the environmental impact. Unlike the Yoshida trail, which limits climbers to 4,000 per day, the trails on the Shizuoka side do not cap numbers. Hikers planning to use the three trails on the Shizuoka side are required to sit a course on climbing rules and etiquette and pass a quiz, either in person or on a smartphone app. Those without an overnight reservation for a mountain hut will be prevented from passing through the gate at the route's 5th station. Mount Fuji, designated a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage site in 2013, attracts hundreds of thousands of climbers each year. © KYODO
Kyodo News
10-07-2025
- Kyodo News
Final 3 Mt. Fuji trails open, 4,000 yen fee charged for all climbers
SHIZUOKA, Japan - The climbing season on Mt. Fuji began in full on Thursday as all three trails on the Shizuoka Prefecture side were opened, with all local authorities charging an entrance fee of 4,000 yen ($27). The most commonly used trail, in neighboring Yamanashi Prefecture, opened on July 1. Both prefectures have introduced measures to discourage overnight "bullet climbing," or trying to reach the summit of the 3,776-meter mountain, Japan's highest, in the dark without sleeping in a trailside hut. The Yoshida trail on the Yamanashi side of the mountain, as well as the Fujinomiya, Gotemba and Subashiri trails on the Shizuoka side are expected to remain open through Sept. 10. "I couldn't climb last year because of a typhoon, but I want to see the sunrise on the mountain and then return home," said 45-year-old Yuji Asato from Yokohama. From this climbing season, Shizuoka Prefecture started collecting the entrance fee and restricting access to its three trails from 2 p.m. to 3 a.m., while Yamanashi Prefecture has doubled the payment from 2,000 yen charged the previous year to ease overcrowding and reduce the environmental impact. Unlike the Yoshida trail, which limits climbers to 4,000 per day, the trails on the Shizuoka side do not cap numbers. Hikers planning to use the three trails on the Shizuoka side are required to sit a course on climbing rules and etiquette and pass a quiz, either in person or on a smartphone app. Those without an overnight reservation for a mountain hut will be prevented from passing through the gate at the route's 5th station. Mt. Fuji, designated a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage site in 2013, attracts hundreds of thousands of climbers each year.
The Mainichi
05-07-2025
- Business
- The Mainichi
Preservation woes hit 60% of Japan industrial revolution UNESCO sites
KAGOSHIMA, Japan (Kyodo) -- Some 60 percent of Japan's UNESCO World Cultural Heritage listed sites that bear testimony to the country's industrial revolution are worried about their preservation, results from a recent Kyodo News survey showed. Representatives of 14 out of the 23 facilities that make up the "Sites of Japan's Meiji Industrial Revolution" responded they were either "concerned" or "somewhat concerned." Insufficient funding for maintenance was the most commonly cited reason followed by a lack of specialized personnel, according to the survey. Saturday marks 10 years since the sites were added to the heritage list. The move was controversial, with South Korea initially opposing it due to the history of Koreans coerced into working at some of the sites, including Hashima Coal Mine in Nagasaki Prefecture, known as "Battleship Island" because of its shape. Most representatives also said that while the facilities saw an uptick in visitors immediately after the listing, tourist numbers have since declined, suggesting it provided only a temporary boost. The survey conducted in June received responses from 11 municipalities across eight prefectures as well as Nippon Steel Corp. and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd., also involved in their management. Nagasaki municipal authorities said that Hashima is a "heritage site with concrete structures that are deteriorating day by day" due to exposure to sea winds and waves, adding that "a large amount of funding for maintenance and special technology is required for preservation." Authorities of Kamaishi in Iwate Prefecture, which hosts the Hashino iron mining and smelting site, said its tax revenues for the projected preservation costs are decreasing due to a decline in the local population. Meanwhile, officials of Hagi in Yamaguchi Prefecture complained that upkeep efforts are lagging behind due to a lack of specialists in cultural assets and architecture. On the other hand, representatives of nine sites said they had "basically no concerns," citing reasons such as detecting no major deterioration in regular monitoring. All 20 facilities that disclosed such information publicly said the listing had "been effective" in providing an immediate boost to visitors. However, 18 sites also reported a decrease in the current number of visitors compared with the figure soon after registration.
Kyodo News
05-07-2025
- Business
- Kyodo News
Preservation woes hit 60% of Japan industrial revolution UNESCO sites
KAGOSHIMA, Japan - Some 60 percent of Japan's UNESCO World Cultural Heritage listed sites that bear testimony to the country's industrial revolution are worried about their preservation, results from a recent Kyodo News survey showed. Representatives of 14 out of the 23 facilities that make up the "Sites of Japan's Meiji Industrial Revolution" responded they were either "concerned" or "somewhat concerned." Insufficient funding for maintenance was the most commonly cited reason followed by a lack of specialized personnel, according to the survey. Saturday marks 10 years since the sites were added to the heritage list. The move was controversial, with South Korea initially opposing it due to the history of Koreans coerced into working at some of the sites, including Hashima Coal Mine in Nagasaki Prefecture, known as "Battleship Island" because of its shape. Most representatives also said that while the facilities saw an uptick in visitors immediately after the listing, tourist numbers have since declined, suggesting it provided only a temporary boost. The survey conducted in June received responses from 11 municipalities across eight prefectures as well as Nippon Steel Corp. and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd., also involved in their management. Nagasaki municipal authorities said that Hashima is a "heritage site with concrete structures that are deteriorating day by day" due to exposure to sea winds and waves, adding that "a large amount of funding for maintenance and special technology is required for preservation." Authorities of Kamaishi in Iwate Prefecture, which hosts the Hashino iron mining and smelting site, said its tax revenues for the projected preservation costs are decreasing due to a decline in the local population. Meanwhile, officials of Hagi in Yamaguchi Prefecture complained that upkeep efforts are lagging behind due to a lack of specialists in cultural assets and architecture. On the other hand, representatives of nine sites said they had "basically no concerns," citing reasons such as detecting no major deterioration in regular monitoring. All 20 facilities that disclosed such information publicly said the listing had "been effective" in providing an immediate boost to visitors. However, 18 sites also reported a decrease in the current number of visitors compared with the figure soon after registration.
Japan Today
01-07-2025
- Japan Today
Mount Fuji climbing season starts with ¥4,000 fee
Climbers atop Mount Fuji hail the sunrise on Tuesday, the first day of the official climbing season for Japan's highest mountain, straddling Shizuoka and Yamanashi prefectures. Mount Fuji's climbing season commenced as the most popular trail opened Tuesday, with local authorities charging a doubled fee of 4,000 yen to ease overcrowding and the impact on the environment. Yamanashi Prefecture is accepting a maximum of 4,000 hikers per day on the Yoshida Trail, the most commonly used route to the summit of the 3,776-meter mountain, that is scheduled to remain open through Sept. 10. "I made it just in time to see the sun come up. I'm very happy. I want to climb mountains in other countries, too," said Shiho Miyaoka, a high school student from Kyoto who came to Japan's highest peak with her parents to see the sunrise. The prefecture has tightened measures amid a rise in foreign visitors and growing concern about the many ill-prepared hikers seen on the mountain in recent years. Those without an overnight reservation for a mountain hut will be prevented from passing through a gate at the 5th station from 2 p.m., two hours earlier than last year, to 3 a.m. People planning to use the Yoshida Trail must also agree when making an online reservation to terms set by the local government, including the use of warm clothing and appropriate footwear. Local government officials acting as "Mount Fuji rangers" at the gate will provide safety guidance. Starting from this season, they can bar entry to lightly dressed visitors. The three other trails on the Shizuoka Prefecture side of the mountain are scheduled to open on July 10, with the local government also charging a 4,000 yen fee but without an upper limit for the number of hikers. Mt. Fuji, designated a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage site in 2013, attracts hundreds of thousands of people each year during its official climbing season through September. © KYODO
