rescues

Mount Fuji is one of the big icons of Japan (perhaps the largest and certainly one of the most emblematic), but for quite a few hikers it ends up becoming something very different: a trap. Although every year they travel their four paths more than 200,000 people, from time to time when the mountain bends the pulse of hikers less accustomed to dealing with altitude sickness, changes in temperatures, long walks over deposits of volcanic ash or simply those who go for their 3,776 meters without proper training or technical equipment. When that happens and things get serious on the mountain, the rescue teams have no choice but to come to the aid of the hikers, sometimes risking their lives. An icon with small print. That Mount Fuji has a unique magnetism and attracts tens of thousands of tourists from all over the world every year is undeniable. Japan estimates that more than 200,000 peoplea figure that some sources raise above 300,000. That’s not to say that ascending the mountain is exactly a walk in the countryside. Especially for those impatient who decide to delve into one of its four paths (Fujinomiya, Gotemba, Subashiri and Yoshida) out of season authorized, which usually runs from July to September. “It is considered dangerous”. Those who want to complete the ascent between the middle of the mountain and the summit of Fuji calmly, safely and without breaking the rules must respect this schedule and plan their excursions in advance. Before July or last September, things get complicated. And not just because the authorities say so. Many of the shelters close, the weather worsens and the route can become dangerous in certain sections. Hence, for example, the United States embassy in Japan insist its citizens about the risks of climbing the mountain out of season. “It is considered dangerous. Every year several climbers, including Americans, lose their lives trying to ascend Mount Fuji.” Is it that problematic? A quick Google search shows that (unfortunately) emergency services must mobilize with some frequency to rescue reckless or ill-prepared hikers. One of the last cases occurred on May 3when a Chinese hiker slipped and fell off a cliff, so he had to be evacuated to a hospital. If we go back further, we find news similar to beginning of marchwhen authorities had to move a team to the southeast face of Fuji to save a 23-year-old Swedish woman and a 41-year-old New Zealander. Both suffered serious injuries. Two rescues in one week. The most flagrant and media case was recorded, however, in 2025, when it had to be rescued twice in a week to a Chinese climber. In general, it is estimated that throughout 2024 around 70 operations search and rescue in the mountains with a death toll of ten, some of them out of season. It is not an alarming figure if you take into account that hundreds of thousands of people visit the mountain every year, but it is not exactly good either. Especially since the high season lasts a few months. “It’s outrageous”. The frequency of rescues (especially during the months when the trails are closed to the public) is high enough that the mayor of one of the towns located at the foot of the mountain, Fujinomiya, has put the scream in the sky. A few days ago Hidetada Sudo called the press to insist on the seriousness of the issue. “Personal responsibility is not being assumed. It is outrageous to think that, if you suffer an accident, you will simply receive help,” laments the councilor before insisting on another idea: often the recklessness of hikers ends up endangering the technicians who must go to Fuji to help them. “It’s not a joke”. “If a second accident occurred, the families and superiors of the team members would not be able to bear it. It would turn into anger. This is no joke,” emphasize I sweat. Their complaints come after the operation on May 3 and after it circulated a video which shows the harsh conditions in which rescuers work. The truth is that this is not the first time that local authorities have raised the issue. Last year the mayor of Fujiyoshida also opened the debate about what to do about rescue operations on Fuji during the off-season, when hikers act recklessly. What is the solution? The million dollar question. Japan now has started to charge to the hikers who climb Fuji to fight dirt that generates its massification. Shizuoka and Yamanashi prefectures even they were talking last year to force visitors to reserve a place in advance to avoid collapses. There are those who propose to go further, especially when things get complicated in the mountains because the hikers do not act responsibly. In 2025 the mayor of Fujishoida proposed that the rescued people must assume the cost of their evacuations. A similar idea has also been raised by Fujinomiya, whose mayor regrets that “the idea that you do not have to assume any cost when being rescued is simplistic and unfair”, or even from the government from Shizuoka Prefecture. Like someone ordering a taxi. “Rescuers risk their lives in mountain rescues. There have been cases where people have requested rescues through their cell phones as if they were ordering a taxi,” I regretted last year the Fujiyoshida councilor before remembering that the use of a rescue helicopter can cost between 400,000 and 500,000 yen per hour, from 2,000 to 2,700 euros. It is not the only solution on the table. That same region has an app in which it already accepts pre-registrations to access the mountain, a tool that informs about climbing rules and pays an access fee. The objective is to also allow users to consult the location and indicate how long it will take to reach the shelters. Images | Baris Sari (Unsplash) and Ryan Latta (Flickr) In Xataka | So many Australian tourists are arriving in Japan that the nation has made an unprecedented decision: asking them … Read more