Mount Fuji Climbers To Pay For Off-Season Helicopter Rescues From 2027

Mount Fuji Climbers to Pay for Off-Season Helicopter Rescues From 2027 People who climb Mount Fuji during Japan’s off-season and require helicopter rescue will have to pay for the service under new measures being introduced by Yamanashi Prefecture from September 2027. The policy is part of a wider effort to discourage unprepared and potentially dangerous climbs outside the mountain’s official climbing season. Authorities say off-season and unplanned ascents have increased, with some climbers becoming stranded and requiring rescue. Yamanashi officials are considering a fee based on helter operating costs. A rate of about 8,000 Japanese yen ($52; £38) for every five minutes of helicopter operation is being used as a reference, although the final amount and payment conditions are still being determined. The charges are expected to apply to prefectural disaster-response helicopter rescues during the off-season. Under the new system, people intending to climb to the sixth station or higher on Mount Fuji’s Yoshida Trail during the off-season will have to submit a climbing registration form. The form will include information about the planned route, equipment and other safety preparations. Authorities will be able to recommend changes where they consider a climbing plan or equipment inadequate. Climbers who submit the required notice and follow appropriate safety measures could have their rescue charges reduced or waived Mount Fuji’s normal climbing season runs from early July to early September. Outside that period, most mountain huts and other facilities are closed, while weather and trail conditions can become significantly more difficult. About 200,000 people climb Mount Fuji each year during the official season. Yamanashi Governor Kotaro Nagasaki urged people to avoid off-season climbing and said the new measures were intended to make climbers reconsider the risks involved. The policy follows a series of incidents involving climbers who became stranded on the mountain outside the official season. One case involved a Chinese university student who was rescued twice within a few days in April 2025. The incidents contributed to calls from local authorities for measures to discourage risky off-season ascents. Neighbouring Shizuoka Prefecture, which oversees three other routes up Mount Fuji, is also planning to require climbers to submit registration forms for off-season ascents. Shizuoka officials have indicated that penalties could apply to people who fail to register, although the prefecture has not announced its own helicopter rescue fee and is still considering the issue. Authorities say the measures are intended to reduce preventable rescues while ensuring that people who genuinely need emergency assistance are still able to receive it.