Aside from an increased fee, climbers who want to scale Japan’s highest peak must now pass a test.
Japan has been breaking records in tourist arrivals and revenues, but it’s also struggling against the woes brought about by overtourism.
The POST has diligently followed the developments on the East Asian country’s efforts to combat the ill effects of the surge in travelers. The latest being the government’s plan to hike its travel tax by as much as 400 percent.
More recently, certain local governments have imposed an increase in fees, as well as new guidelines, in some of the country’s most touristy spots. The POST has the latest.
Related story: Japan eyes travel tax hike in latest move against overtourism
Related story: EXPLAINER: What to know about Japan’s revised visa application process for Filipinos
Increased fee to climb Mount Fuji
Arguably Japan’s most iconic national symbol, Mount Fuji has always been a popular tourist attraction among locals and tourists alike. Post-pandemic and with a weakening yen, however, the UNESCO World heritage site considered sacred by many Japanese has welcomed one too many tourists.
To try and bring more balance (and sanity amid the daily chaos), Mount Fuji’s home prefectures Shizuoka and Yamanashi have rolled out new rules ahead of the 2025 climbing season, which is from July to September, per CNN. Anyone climbing Fuji must now pay JPY4,000 ($27) for a permit. That’s double the price from 2024, the first year that the mandatory “tourist tax” was implemented on the mountain.
Overcrowding is one problem, another is an increase in the number of visitors who don’t wear proper climbing attire and don’t bring with them the proper gear and enough water. To address this, authorities at Shizuoka prefecture, the entry point for three of the four Mount Fuji trails, have added an additional measure: a test.
Yep, you read that right. Prospective hikers must now take a brief class about hiking safety and local rules, then pass a short test to confirm they understood the information.
There’s also a cap of 4,000 visitors per day so make sure to book your slot online.
On top of this is yet another restriction when it comes to climbing schedules. Mount Fuji will be closed from 2 p.m to 3 a.m every day to anyone who isn’t staying overnight in a hiking hut along the Fuji trails, so schedule your climb properly!
Related story: Kyoto is not a theme park! Local gov’t pushes back against badly behaving tourists
Related story: Some businesses in Japan now charging tourists more in recent push against overtourism
Higher accommodation taxes in Kyoto
The ancient capital is another place in Japan that has been in a constant fierce battle against overtourism. This said, lawmakers in the city also called the “thousand-year capital” have approved a plan to “significantly increase” the accommodation tax for visitors from March next year in yet another bid to curb overtourism.
With this, Kyoto will have the highest accommodation tax in Japan after the plan is implemented. Tax will be capped at JPY10,000 (US$67) per person each night, according to Kyodo News agency. This rate will apply to the most expensive accommodation costing at least JPY100,000 per person each night.
With the revision, a tax of JPY4,000 per person each night will apply to rooms costing between JPY50,000 to JPY99,999. A tax of JPY400 and JPY1,000 per person each night, respectively, will apply for rooms costing between JPY6,000 and JPY19,999, and between JPY20,000 and JPY49,999. The lowest tax of JPY200 yen per person each night will apply for rooms costing less than JPY6,000.
These hikes are expected to increase Kyoto’s revenue from the accommodation tax to JPY12.6 billion a year eventually, from JPY5.2 billion in the 2023 financial year, according to Japanese media reports. Authorities aim to use the extra tax revenue in areas including infrastructure improvement and repair of cultural sites, per the national broadcaster NHK.
The proposed hikes in tourism-related taxes has been a divisive issue in Japan. Supporters say the tax would help deal with the effects of overtourism, but critics argue that it will deter travelers from visiting the country.
Related story: Oh deer! Nara’s sacred deer on the brink of losing their protected status
Related story: How not to be a ‘gate lice’ and other tips for civilized travel
The persistent scourge of overtourism
All these proposals come in response to the country’s continuing struggle against overtourism. International travelers have been flocking to Japan in record numbers, taking advantage of a much weaker yen. According to the Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO), the estimated number of foreign visitors to Japan last year was 36,869,900, a whopping 15.6% increase compared to 2019, setting a new record high.
The POST has already reported on how public and private entities in Japan have taken measures to fight against hordes of tourists—some of whom are of the unsavory, badly behaving kind. Kyoto has started penalizing tourists who harass geishas and maikos (apprentice geishas), and those who “trespass” into residential areas. Even the barrier meant to block views of Mount Fuji in Fujikawaguchiko wasn’t spared by unruly tourists.
Most recently, the once quiet town of Otaru in Hokkaido made headlines for being overrun by foreign visitors, with a Hong Kong national reportedly being hit by a train and dying after posing on the tracks with a famous view. Even before the unfortunate incident, however, local authorities started deploying security guards to remind tourists to refrain from disruptive behaviors, including trespassing onto private premises and obstructing road traffic.
Businesses across Japan have also been proposing a dual pricing system for foreign visitors and locals amid a surge in inbound visitors. Some establishments have, in fact, already started charging tourists more.
Overtourism has also plagued other countries such as South Korea, Spain, and Italy, as reported here on The POST (see related stories below). Most recently, an American tourist caused international outrage mid-March after she was filmed snatching a baby wombat from its mother and running off with it, causing the mom-cub pair severe distress.
Related story: Seoul fights back against overtourism at the historic Bukchon Hanok Village
Related story: Starting today, Venice implements a five-euro day pass in a push against overtourism
Related story: ‘Go home!’: Overtourism sparks ‘revulsion‘ among locals in Spain
