Mount Fuji climbers to face fees for off-season helicopter rescues

Travel & Leisure

Crackdown comes amid rising incidents of reckless climbing involving foreign tourists

Mount Fuji generally closes to climbers in September, owing to dangerous conditions. (Photo by Kosaku Mimura)

SHINYA KITAMURA and JUN ENDO

September 15, 2026 02:08 JST

KOFU, Japan/SHIZUOKA, Japan — People who attempt to climb Mount Fuji during the off-season period and then require rescue by helicopter will pay for the service if they fail to meet conditions announced Monday by Yamanashi prefecture.