Yamanashi prefecture authorities announced plans to impose financial penalties on climbers who require helicopter rescues during Mount Fuji’s off-season period, which extends from early September through July. The measure is being implemented to discourage inadequately prepared mountaineers from attempting the ascent during hazardous conditions.
The rescue fee will be modeled after a similar charge already in effect in neighboring Saitama prefecture for other mountainous areas, which amounts to 8,000 yen per five minutes of helicopter assistance. In addition to the rescue fee, Yamanashi officials will require climbers planning off-season ascents to submit comprehensive climbing plans before attempting the mountain.
Governor Kotaro Nagasaki stated that authorities are urging the public to avoid climbing during winter months and hope the new requirements will encourage people to reconsider the dangers of off-season climbing attempts. Officials from both Yamanashi and Shizuoka prefectures, which oversee the northern and southern portions of Mount Fuji respectively, have observed an increase in unscheduled and off-season climbs, some resulting in climbers becoming stranded.
Shizuoka authorities indicated they will impose penalties on climbers who fail to register off-season attempts and will strengthen measures to prevent access to restricted areas. The official climbing season runs from July through early September, drawing approximately 200,000 hikers annually. Off-season climbing is permitted only up to the fifth of ten mountain stations, though most facilities including huts and restrooms remain closed, and weather and trail conditions are considerably more severe during these months.
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