Society

Mount Fuji trails in Shizuoka open for this year's climbing season

Jul 11 (Japan Times) - The climbing season for Mount Fuji got fully underway Tuesday with three trails in Shizuoka Prefecture opening to the public.

The season began earlier this month when a trail in neighboring Yamanashi Prefecture opened on the 3,776-meter mountain, Japanâ€™s highest peak, which attracted over 284,000 climbers last year. The trails close on Sept. 10.

While not mandatory, climbers are asked to pay Â¥1,000 ($9) per person to support the upkeep of the mountain, which was designated as a UNESCO World Heritage site in 2013.

Some 112,200 people used the Shizuoka routes last year, with the amount collected there totaling roughly Â¥52 million, according to local officials.

Do Bears Prefer Acorns or Berries?

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Copper Thieves Target Japanese Shrines

Copper roofing panels were stolen from several shrines in Hamamatsu, Shizuoka Prefecture, including a city-designated cultural property, in the latest case amid a nationwide surge in copper thefts targeting shrines and temples across Japan, where soaring metal prices have fueled crimes that leave historic religious buildings damaged, exposed to the elements, and facing repair costs of millions of yen.

1200-Year-Old Temple on Miyajima Reduced to Ashes

Flames broke out on the morning of May 20th on Miyajima Island in Hiroshima Prefecture, home to one of Japan's World Heritage sites, destroying Reikado Hall near the summit of Mount Misen.

From Bento Boxes to Garbage Bags, Rising Costs Hitting Daily Life Across Japan

Uncertainty surrounding the situation in the Middle East is beginning to affect daily life in Japan, as concerns over crude oil supplies spread to restaurants, cleaning services and even household garbage disposal systems across the Kansai region.

Tochigi Robbery-Murder Suspect’s Wife Posted Dance Videos on Social Media

A 25-year-old woman arrested as a suspected ringleader in a robbery-murder case in Tochigi Prefecture once posted cheerful dance videos on social media and was remembered by those who knew her as an energetic and outgoing young woman.

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