[1/2] Visitors are seen at the fifth stage on the slopes of Mount Fuji, Japan's highest mountain 3,776 metres (12,388 ft), in Fujiyoshida, Japan, September 9, 2023.
Mt Fuji, which straddles Yamanashi and Shizuoka prefectures in eastern Japan, has always been popular with local and overseas tourists.
"It's uncontrollable and we fear that Mt Fuji will soon become so unattractive, nobody would want to climb it," he said.
Mt Fuji was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site 10 years ago, further boosting its popularity.
"Any Japanese person would want to climb Mt Fuji at least once in their life," said 62-year-old Jun Shibazaki, who arrived on a tour.
Persons:
Mariko Katsumura, Masatake Izumi, Shibazaki, Chang, Ran Kim, Michael Perry
Organizations:
REUTERS, Mt Fuji, Mt, UNESCO, International Council, World Heritage, Thomson
Locations:
Mount, Fujiyoshida, Japan, Yamanashi, Shizuoka