Japan’s tourism boom stirs accident jitters

Monday, August 14, 2023

As foreign visitors return to Japan in droves for the first summer since 2019, authorities in the country are bracing for another potential surge — in the number of accidents at tourism magnet Mount Fuji and on the nation’s roads.

According to the Japan National Tourism Organization, the estimated number of foreigners who visited the country in June exceeded 2.07 million, more than 16 times the same period last year when arrivals were heavily restricted by travel curbs designed to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

As for Mount Fuji, according to the Ministry of the Environment around 42,000 climbers visited Japan’s iconic peak in the first 16 days of July.

That represents a jump of 40% from the comparable number four years ago, the last summer before Japan introduced travel restrictions to combat the spread of COVID-19.

Though not typically considered a dangerous climb, Mount Fuji can be problematic for some. In a regular year, more than 1,000 visitors get lost during the summer climbing season.

Some visitors attempt what’s called a “bullet climb” — going up and down without reserving spaces to stay overnight in mountain huts — without bringing enough equipment and without proper planning.

In one reported case late in July, two climbers from the United States without appropriate equipment were rescued unharmed after calling for help when they became lost on the mountain.

The official website for climbing Mount Fuji has posted warnings against bullet climbing but the situation has been complicated by a big reduction in the amount of available hut space: In a measure to curb COVID, the number of available huts has been at least halved from 2019.

Alongside concerns over mountain climbing, fears of road accidents involving foreigners unfamiliar with Japan’s driving rules have risen.

The Japan Tourism Agency and the All Japan Rent-A-Car Association have promoted leaflets in foreign languages summarizing Japanese traffic rules, with links to a collection of traffic safety videos for inbound visitors.

The videos have been uploaded to YouTube but have garnered only 60 views in the six years they have been up.

Questions remain over the effectiveness of efforts to prevent accidents so far.

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