The iconic Mount Fuji in Japan is grappling with the challenges of overtourism, which has seen a sharp increase in visitors and environmental problems. Since becoming a UNESCO World Heritage site in 2013, the number of visitors to Mount Fuji’s popular fifth hiking station has more than doubled from two million in 2012 to over five million in 2019. This year, around 65,000 hikers have already reached the summit, a 17% increase from 2019. A post-Covid tourism boom has brought even more tourists to the mountain, exacerbating the problem. The crowds have led to traffic jams on the mountain trails, long wait times, and environmental issues, including litter and reckless hikers.
Experts are concerned that the situation has reached a “critical point,” and they emphasize the need to address overtourism to preserve Mount Fuji’s value as a World Heritage site. Measures to combat the issue include capping the number of climbers, proposing a system where only visitors with bookings are allowed to hike, and exploring the possibility of building a light rail transit system to the fifth station to reduce vehicular traffic. However, addressing overtourism remains a challenge due to the lack of gates at national parks and World Heritage sites in Japan, requiring changes in laws and local government bylaws.