More foreign tourists flocking to Fuji to soak in the sunrise

by Takafumi Sukegawa

NAGANO – Mount Fuji, the tallest mountain in Japan, is becoming an increasingly popular destination as tourism numbers continue to break records.

The 3,776-meter volcano, which straddles Yamanashi and Shizuoka prefectures west of Tokyo, was added to UNESCO’s World Heritage List in 2013 as an “object of worship” and “wellspring of art.”

Some 200,000 people climb Mount Fuji each year via the Yoshida Trail, which leads to the summit from the volcano’s north side in Yamanashi. Foreigners account for some 30 percent of the trekkers on weekdays and 20 percent on weekends, according to an Environment Ministry survey conducted last August.

Willer Travel Inc., based in Osaka, recently arranged a group tour to Mount Fuji consisting of 23 tourists from the United States and eight European, Asian and other countries.

Mike Powell of the U.S. said he and his wife wanted to climb the most famous mountain in Japan. Powell, 31, suggested that tourists often view Mount Fuji as a sightseeing spot rather than a peak to conquer.

http://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2016/08/26/national/foreign-tourists-flocking-fuji-soak-sunrise/