Many groups that travel to Japan climb Mt. Fuji, threatening both the hikers safety and the mountain, which suffers from over 300,000 climbers every year, according to FOX News.
The mountain was recently recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage site, which many worry will bring even more travelers to the 12,388-foot mountain.
"It's getting polluted and so many people are running around," Hisataka Kurosawa, a Japanese tourist, told FOX News. "I'm a bit disappointed about that."
The safety of hikers is a significant concern, with at least seven people dead and 70 hurt while climbing the mountain in 2012. Shomei Yokouchi, the governor of Yamanashi, said the traffic jams that result from too many hikers in pre-dawn darkness adds to the safety risk.
The climbing season lasts from July to August, and the trek is nine hours long to go round trip in good weather. At other times of the year, the hike is even more dangerous.
The World Heritage recognition, which was granted in June, will bring a welcome boost to the suffering economy, by helping businesses with new visitors. However, it also brings an additional threat to the mountain's natural state as an increase in visitors is anticipated.
"With more foreigners visiting, we will need to think of improving the facilities," Yokouchi said, discussing the improved conditions since installing composting toilets. "They are cleaner than before and the smell's not so bad, but there are not enough of them."
Litter is also a problem. Currently, 40,000 to 50,000 volunteers clean up garbage on the peak of the mountain. Nearly 900 tons of garbage was collected prior to the World Heritage vote.
"Although Fuji has a power of its own, it is being influenced by global warming and other factors," Toyohiro Wantanabe, a former local government official who now runs a civic group called Groundwork Mishima, said. "It is getting weaker."
Climbing Mt. Fuji.
This article is copyrighted by Travelers Today, the travel news leader
