Japan imposes new rules to climb Mount Fuji to combat tourism and littering

Mount Fuji (Itsuo Inouye/AP)

Those who want to climb one of the most popular trails on Japan’s Mount Fuji will now have to reserve ahead and pay a fee as the picturesque peak struggles with tourism and littering.

The Yamanashi prefecture said in a statement via the Foreign Press Centre of Japan it has introduced new rules for the climbing season, starting July 1 to September 10 for those hiking the Yoshida Trail on the Yamanashi side of the 3776 metre-high mountain, designated a Unesco World Cultural Heritage site in 2013.