Mount Fuji climbing season begins

Jul 01 (NHK) - 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.

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