TRAVEL

The Yamanashi Prefectural Government plans to raise an endangered deepwater salmon species discovered in 2010 in Lake Saiko at the foot of Mount Fuji - 70 years after it died out in its original habitat 500 km northeast in Akita Prefecture's Lake Tazawa. Yamanashi Prefectural Fisheries Technology Center culturists will gill-net the "kunimasu" species in the 2.1-sq.-km lake, collecting sperm from males and eggs from females for fertilization at a hatchery in February and March - peak mating season - said Kiyoshi Mitsui, the center's director. (Japan Times)

An area at the northern foot of Mount Fuji famous for its five lakes has gained a sixth, albeit of pond size, following heavy rain brought by a typhoon that struck Japan last week. Lake Aka, in the town of Fujikawaguchiko, Yamanashi Prefecture, has reappeared for the first time in seven years. It's only about 70 meters in diameter but has quickly become a tourist attraction. It sits near the Fuji Five Lakes - Yamanaka, Kawaguchi, Sai, Shoji and Motosu. (Japan Times)

None of Japan's skyscrapers fell in the massive earthquake that hit the country in March, but they shook violently - and with experts saying a big quake under Tokyo is overdue, the city's love affair with the high-rise lifestyle may be coming to an end. When Emiko Yamamoto opens her curtains in the morning, she is rewarded with a spectacular view, right across Tokyo. From the 30th floor, she can see the high-rises and elevated expressways, the bullet train and even, on a clear day, the snow-capped cone of Mount Fuji, far in the distance. It is the kind of outlook Tokyo dreams are made of, but Emiko cannot wait to leave. Back in March, she was inside her apartment when the earthquake hit. (BBC)

In all of my visits to Yamanashi Prefecture, never before has catching sight of Mount Fuji left my heart beating so fast. Certainly, any view of that lofty symbol of Japan is sure to impart a sense of awe at its scale and natural beauty. But this time, it was the 121-degree freefall right after my fleeting glimpse that rocketed my pulse rate and took my breath away. With at least seven major twists, and 1,000 meters of track that rears up to 43 meters (141 feet) above ground level, Takabisha is the latest Guinness world-record addition to Fuji-Q Highland in Fujiyoshida. (Japan Times)

The official climbing season for Mount Fuji is drawing to a close on Aug. 31, which means potential climbers should act fast. With 10 stations along the trails, most people begin their ascent to the summit of Japan's most famous mountain from the fifth station. Mount Fuji's crater is surrounded by eight peaks, and it usually takes around 90 minutes to circle the perimeter. Kengamine Peak is the highest point in Japan. (Japan Times)

A working panel of the Cultural Affairs Council has endorsed a draft recommendation prepared jointly by Yamanashi and Shizuoka prefectures to seek registration of Mount Fuji as a World Heritage site in 2013, according to government officials. The endorsement, which came Monday, paves the way for the Cultural Affairs Agency to work out an interim recommendation, based on the draft, for submission to the World Cultural Heritage Special Committee due to be convened in September, the officials said. (Japan Times)

Toyota is developing a safety technology that takes control of the steering so the vehicle can veer away when it isn't able to stop before impact. Toyota Motor Corp. showed some of its up and coming safety innovations in a demonstration to reporters Thursday at its facility in this town, west of Tokyo, near Mount Fuji. All the world's automakers are working on special safety technology in an effort to woo customers, as competition intensifies among manufacturers already neck-and-neck in delivering the regular features for their products. (AP)

Faced with the nation's worst disaster since World War II, Fuji Rock Festival founder Masahiro Hidaka had to make a choice back in March - whether to hold Japan's biggest summer music festival this year or not. He decided that the show must go on. "It may not be a very conservative Japanese way of thinking, but festivals are festivals, they create good things for people," Hidaka, president of Smash Corporation and chief producer of Fuji Rock, tells The Japan Times from his company's headquarters in Minato Ward, Tokyo. This year will mark the 15th installment of the annual gathering. Though the inaugural bash was held with the iconic Mount Fuji as its backdrop, the party has since moved to the valleys of Naeba, Niigata Prefecture, more than 150 km away. (Japan Times)

A new rollercoaster in Japan - which will boast the steepest vertical drop of any ride in the world - is set to raise the bar for thrill-seekers, reports the Daily Mail. On July 16th, the Fuji-Q Highland Amusement Park, in the shadow of Mount Fuji in Yamanash, will unveil the stomach-flipping Takabisha ride - an attraction that includes seven major twists over 1000 metres of track, and a nerve-jangling drop of 43 metres. (Daily Times)