FUJI-YOSHIDA, Yamanashi Prefecture--At the foot of Mount Fuji, prayers for safety in the upcoming climbing season extended to a growing concern.

The number of climbers on Japan’s highest peak is expected to soar from previous years because COVID-19 restrictions have been lifted.

This surge in visitors is also reigniting the trend of “bullet climbing,” where trekkers start their ascent at night to reach the summit for sunrise and then descend without staying at huts.

“Underestimating the risks of mountain climbing can result in injuries, deteriorating health conditions, getting lost in the mountains and even life-threatening situations,” said Yoshiro Sanada, executive director of Fuji-Yoshida tourism promotion service, a local foundation.

He was speaking on behalf of 30 people who prayed for the safety of climbers at a ceremony held at the entrance of the Yoshida trail on Mount Fuji on May 22.

The participants, including city government officials, members of the Mount Fuji-Yoshida-guchi Ryokan Kumiai association, and Fuji-Yoshida Police Station officers, had gathered in front of a cenotaph inscribed with the words, “Pray to Mount Fuji.”

Sanada stressed the importance of having both the public and private sectors take measures and raise awareness to prevent mountain accidents.

Osamu Nakamura, head of the association, said, “I’m worried about bullet climbing.”

Although climbing up Mount Fuji generally does not require any special gear or equipment, its peak extends 3,776 meters above sea level.

The risk of falling rocks and broken ankles increases during climbs in the darkness. Bullet climbers are also more prone to developing altitude sickness, such as nausea and headaches, because the relatively rapid ascent leaves less time for their bodies to adapt to the low pressure and low oxygen levels, experts said.

ACCOMMODATION CAPACITY REDUCED

Climbing season for Mount Fuji usually runs from July 1 to Sept. 10, although the starting dates may differ from trail to trail.

The Yoshida trail on the Yamanashi Prefecture side of the mountain is a popular route for bullet climbers because of its easy accessibility from Tokyo.

Bullet climbers accounted for only 5 to 7 percent of all climbers on Mount Fuji during the five years before the COVID-19 pandemic.

The percentage decreased by nearly half over the latest two years, according to the Fuji-Yoshida city government.

The city said it expects far more bullet climbers this season.

One reason is that many mountain huts have already reached full occupancy.

According to the Ryokan Kumiai association, which consists of 16 mountain huts along the Yoshida trail, accommodation capacity since 2020 has decreased to about half of the pre-pandemic level to prevent overcrowding and halt the spread of the novel coronavirus.

Many of the huts converted open spaces into private rooms.

Not only are there fewer places to stay on the mountain, but foreign travelers have scrambled to book spots in the mountain huts since the relaxation of COVID-19 border restrictions.

“The phone kept ringing constantly from morning to evening with reservation requests,” a hut operator said. “Reservations from foreigners alone already accounted for about 30 percent of the bookings.”

Many people who cannot reserve hut accommodations are expected to bullet climb.

Based on these circumstances, the Ryokan Kumiai association, at a May 16 meeting, asked officials of the city, the Yamanashi prefectural government and the Environment Ministry for measures to curb bullet climbing.

TOLL ROAD’S HOURS SHORTENED

Before the pandemic, the Fuji Subaru Line toll road that connects Lake Kawaguchiko and Mount Fuji’s 5th Station had been open 24 hours a day during the climbing season.

But the prefectural government has shortened the opening hours of the road since 2020 on the request of local municipalities at the foot of Mount Fuji.

The decision was intended to prevent congestion on climbing trails and accidents due to bullet climbing, while easing the burden on first aid stations and mountain huts.

Between July 1 to 13 this year, the Fuji Subaru Line will be open from 3 a.m. to 8 p.m. for the route toward the 5th Station and from 3 a.m. to 10 p.m. for the route to Lake Kawaguchiko.

From July 14 to Sept. 10, the opening hours for the route to the mountain will be between 3 a.m. and 6 p.m., and for the route to the lake between 3 a.m. and 8 p.m.