Climbing Mount Fuji will now require a $38 fee and a test

On a clear day, Mount Fuji can be seen from Tokyo. (Tomohiro Ohsumi/Getty Images via CNN Newsource)

Mount Fuji is a UNESCO World heritage site, a world-famous landmark and an icon of Japan.

But it has also become a “trash mountain” overcrowded by millions of tourists.

To try and bring more balance to this popular tourist attraction, Shizuoka and Yamanashi prefectures – who share Mount Fuji – have instituted new rules ahead of the 2025 climbing season, which lasts from July to September.

First up, anyone climbing Fuji must pay 4,000 yen (C$38) for a permit. They will also have to book slots online, as the mountain is restricted to 4,000 visitors per day.

That’s double the price from 2024, the first year that the mandatory “tourist tax” was implemented on the mountain. Before that, there was a suggested optional donation of 1,000 yen per person.

“By strongly promoting comprehensive safety measures for climbing Mount Fuji, we will ensure that Mount Fuji, a treasure of the world, is passed on to future generations,” said Koutaro Nagasaki, governor of Yamanashi Prefecture, said last year.

The increasing number of people on the mountain isn’t the only problem. Some climbers needed medical attention due to wearing inappropriate gear like sandals and flip flops or by not bringing proper equipment or enough water.

In response, Shizuoka prefecture – the starting point for three of the four Mount Fuji trails – has added an additional measure. Prospective hikers will have to take a brief class about hiking safety and local rules, then pass a short test to confirm they understood the information.

Another restriction will be enacted for timings on the mountain.

The mountain will be closed from 2 p.m. to 3 a.m. every day to anyone who isn’t staying overnight in a hut. These hiking huts are located along the Fuji trails and are available to rent for people who opt to stay overnight rather than try to complete the entire hike in a single day.

More and more attractions around Japan are trying to find ways to balance the revenue brought in by foreign travelers with the challenges of overtourism.

The Itsukushima Shrine, better known as the “floating torii gate” off of Hiroshima, began charging an entry fee in 2023 as a way to manage the popular photo op.

The snowy onsen town of Otaru has had to hire security guards to patrol the town and manage the crowds who flock there every winter.

Overtourism problems are not restricted to Japan.

It’s been a lively month so far in terms of disappointing antics by travelers and pleasure-seekers.

An American tourist caused international outrage mid-March after she was filmed snatching a baby wombat from its mother and running off with it.

A Pennsylvania man was caught on March 7 going through security at a New Jersey airport with a live turtle concealed in his pants.

A video went viral of two diners urinating into their hotpot broth at a restaurant in China, leading the restaurant chain to offer refunds to customers.

In Ireland, a campaigner is trying to stop tourists from groping the breasts of Dublin’s famous Molly Malone statue.

Airplanes have always been a hive of unruly behaviour, but March has been a doozie.

In just the last three weeks, disruptive incidents on planes have included biting, shoving, swallowing of rosary beads, plans to speak to U.S. President Trump, and toilets getting so clogged the plane had to turn back.

By Lilit Marcus, CNN