Mount Fuji is one of the symbols of Japan and Asian culture. The thing worshiped by religious people, it has been considered a sacred mountain for many centuries, because a spiritual meaning is attributed to it and it has inspired the work of many artists and writers. At the same time, it is a popular destination for Japanese tourists and tourists from all over the world. But its popularity has reached limits that have alerted the Japanese authorities on several occasions.
“Fujisan” is located about one hundred kilometers southwest of Tokyo, in the Chubu region and borders Shizouka or Yamanashi. Purok is located 3,776 meters above sea level, and is the highest mountain in Japan.
It was included in the UNESCO World Heritage list in 2013, and every year it attracts millions of tourists from all countries. It is a symbolic place that offers an impressive natural experience as well as a historical or cultural one, and this mountain, composed of different layers of ash or volcanic rocks that transform it into a stratovolcano, immortalized in literature, art or religion. , as well as it has become an important attraction in the world.
Mount Fuji, a symbol of Japan and a tourist attraction that is “abhorred” by the Japanese authorities.
It is estimated that in 2019, more than five million people visited this natural site. This, above all, takes place between June and September, during the summer, because that is when the access roads open because the weather conditions are favorable and increase the possibility of many tourists get together The mountain also has a whole infrastructure that includes souvenir shops, food stalls and other places where visitors can go.
But this “tourism” that plagues this area has alarmed the authorities. First, it is considered that at its high altitude, it is not easy to access and at a higher elevation, the travel conditions are worse due to the drop in oxygen levels. In addition, many of the visitors complain about the dirt, because “you can see many leftovers of food or bottles scattered by the mountaineers themselves,” as one of the tourists explained to the AFP Agency.
Fuji is an important element of Japanese culture, and the authorities have repeatedly recalled that it remains a “sacred mountain” despite the tourism it manages. It is common to see long lines of visitors on the streets of Fujiyoshida. The obsession with creating and sharing digital content of those who want to take a photo of an iconic place, something that can have a negative effect. Thus, it seems that the increase in the number of visitors will cause the pre-pandemic level to be exceeded, increasing the warnings from the authorities.
