The rate of donations among Mount Fuji trekkers from the northern side has dropped after the introduction of a compulsory fee.
Hikers on Japan’s highest mountain are asked for money on a voluntary basis to protect the environment, maintain public toilets and set up first aid stations. The amount suggested is set at 1,000 yen, or more than 6 dollars, per person.
The rate of the hikers who made the donation was 53.1 percent on the Yamanashi Prefecture side in this year’s climbing season. That is down 22.5 percentage points from the previous year and the second lowest figure since the system began in 2014.
The prefecture introduced a 2,000-yen fee on Mount Fuji trekkers this year to be used for safety measures, including implementing a limit on the number of climbers.
Yamanashi officials say the hikers may have been reluctant to make the donation on top of the mandatory fee. The officials say they will study integrating the two systems.