Alpinist Ken Noguchi urgently proposes a “secret plan! Mt. Fuji is in grave danger of being stripped of its World Heritage status because it is “too dirty.

In just over five years since its registration as a World Heritage site in 2001, the number of visitors has doubled to over 5 million. Fuji, Japan’s world-class mountain, is facing a serious crisis.

Fuji is in grave danger of being stripped of its World Heritage status, and the reason is that it is “too dirty.

Fuji is the dirtiest mountain in the world,” testifies Ken Noguchi, an alpinist and author of “Mt.

In 1997, I joined a publicly recruited team of climbers from various countries to challenge Mt. Everest from the Tibetan side for the first time. When we were all cleaning up, the captain said, “Do the Japanese do the same thing in the Himalayas as they do on Mount Fuji? I asked him, and he replied, “Yes. I heard that Reinhold Messner, a superstar in the mountaineering world, said, “I’ve climbed mountains all over the world, but Mount Fuji was the dirtiest. I had only climbed in winter, so when I went to Mt. Fuji the following summer, it was indeed covered in trash. ……

The impact of this incident prompted Noguchi to begin cleaning Mt. Fuji and Mount Everest in 2000. Although some improvements have been made with the introduction of restrictions on private cars, the “pollution” of Mt. Noguchi reveals the inside story.

Fuji’s registration as a World Heritage site was actually conditional. The UNESCO advisory body has given various homework assignments, such as resolving overtourism and improving exhaust gas pollution caused by large sightseeing buses. And Yamanashi Prefecture has not actively publicized this fact. This is because strict mountain entry restrictions are indispensable to fulfill the conditions.

Restrictions on mountain entry directly lead to a decrease in the number of tourists.

In fact, some tourism operators and local leaders have voiced their concerns, saying, “If we can’t become a World Heritage site without charging an entrance fee and imposing entry restrictions, we don’t need such restrictions.

However, the weak yen has been a tailwind for the dramatic increase in the number of inbound tourists. Governor Kotaro Nagasaki (55) finally called for a press conference to state that Mt. Fuji was “in danger of being stripped” of its World Heritage registration, and decided to levy entrance fees and restrict entry to the mountain.

I have been exchanging opinions with Yamanashi Prefecture officials since before Mt. Fuji was registered as a World Heritage site, and they have always had a sense of crisis, saying, “If we don’t do something, it will be bad,” and “If the designation is withdrawn, the search for the culprits will begin. But politics would not allow it. That’s why I was surprised that the governor himself mentioned the “taboo of taboos.

Shrines Also Participating in the Doldrums Battle

Another measure proposed by Governor Nagasaki is the “Mt.

Fuji and the fifth station by eliminating tourist buses and cabs from the “Subaru Line,” a toll road connecting the foot of the mountain with the fifth station, and running trams to cut emissions. Fuji in winter.” However, the city of Fujiyoshida, the mountain lodge association, and citizens’ groups protested, saying that the introduction of the tramway would destroy the environment, and that it would risk landslides and avalanches.

Fuji in winter is in accordance with religious beliefs,” and even a local shrine has joined in the battle.

Noguchi said, “Looking at overseas examples, the only way out is to regulate entry to the mountain and use alpine railroads.

The current entrance fee is 2,000 yen, which is about the cost of a bowl of ramen for a foreigner. Raise the fee to 30,000 yen. Even so, inbound visitors will still come. Japanese people pay 10,000 yen. Or even free. Everest has no entrance fee for Nepalese. We take about 1.7 million yen from foreigners.

Noguchi also has a “secret plan” for the mountain railroad project, which has been dead in the water.

Fuji is beautiful in winter. Fuji is an active volcano. Fuji is an active volcano, but there is only one small shelter at the sixth station. It’s killing two birds with one stone. ″The point that ″entering Mt. Fuji in winter is problematic for religious beliefs″ is contradictory. I have never heard of the shrine protesting the weather observation dome at the summit or the hut that was open in winter. If the railroad is really no good, then abolish the Subaru Line and make people walk from the foot of the mountain. Climbing a mountain of less than 4,000 meters in a day trip is absurd. Even Yarigatake (Mt. Yarigatake) is climbed over three nights. Because they think of it as an extension of Mt. Takao, there are people who climb mountains wearing short sleeves and shorts and carrying carry bags. There is no end to the number of victims of reckless bullet climbs.

A spokesman for Yamanashi Prefecture responded, saying he was “not aware” of any protests by local shrines against huts and other facilities open during the winter.

We believe that when we are asked to discuss a matter for reasons of faith, we are necessarily required to make arguments that can be persuasive on a national and international level. An increase in the entrance fee may be possible in the future if the necessary expenses increase. We will study the introduction of a foreigner fee, including fares on the mountain railroad.

Fuji is a sacred mountain. Fuji, and I am sure that we all share this desire.

From the August 9, 2024 issue of “FRIDAY