Mount Fuji climbing season begins

NHK -- Jul 01

The climbing season started on the Yamanashi Prefecture side of Mount Fuji early on Saturday.

Hikers can now trek up to the summit, Japan's highest peak. The Shizuoka side will open on July 10th. The mountain straddles the 2 prefectures.

A traditional ritual to pray for the safety of climbers will take place at a shrine on the mountain's 5th station later in the day.

Mount Fuji was designated as a UNESCO World Heritage site in 2013.

Following the designation, the prefectural governments began to ask climbers to voluntarily pay a 1,000 yen admission fee. They want to raise funds to preserve the mountain and to enhance safety measures.

Jul 01 () - 世界文化遺産に登録され4年がたった富士山は、1日にことしの山開きを迎え本格的な夏山シーズンに入ります。 山梨と静岡にまたがる富士山では、山梨県側で1日にことしの山開きを迎えます。