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On a gray and rainy Saturday, buses arrive continually at a base station of Japanʼs Mount Fuji. The buses release foreign visitors in front of stores and restaurants.
The area looks similar to a theme park. It is not what most Japanese would expect below the 3,776-meter mountain. Mt Fuji is considered an important religious area. And Japanese honor the mountain for its perfectly balanced form.
“Hey, no smoking here!ˮ a store worker told a man wearing shorts and holding a can of beer. He was standing in front of the red “toriiˮ gate which marks the entrance to the Shinto religious center ahead.
Mt Fuji sits between the Yamanashi and Shizuoka areas in eastern Japan. It has always been popular with local and foreign visitors.
But a recent increase in visitors to Japan has led to high levels of pollution and other difficulties, officials say. They add they may be forced to take extreme measures. They may restrict the number of visitors by limiting the only way to visit the mountain by a yet-to-be-built public transportation system.
“Fuji faces a real crisis,ˮ Masatake Izumi, a Yamanashi area official, told reporters recently. It was the last weekend before the paths closed for the year.
“It's uncontrollable and we fear that Mt Fuji will soon become so unattractive , nobody would want to climb it,ˮ he said.
Mt Fuji was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage area 10 years ago, further increasing its popularity. World Heritage areas are places that the UN protects for having great value to humanity.
But the listing came with conditions that Japan reduce the number of visitors, environmental harm from visitors, and fix man-made areas designed for visitors.
However, the number of visitors has increased. “Subaru,ˮ the fifth and largest base station, had about 4 million visitors this summer. That is a 50 percent increase from 2013.
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 on September 9, 2023. REUTERS/Chris Gallagher)
Despite the hard work of cleaners, businesses, and volunteers, social media is filled with posts about dirty bathrooms and waste along the climbing path.
Izumi worries that the International Council on Monuments and Sites ICOMOS, which advises the World Heritage Committee, could come looking for an update.
“Bullet climbingˮ is where climbers try to climb Japanʼs tallest mountain for sunrise and go down the mountain on the same day. Officials say that it is a growing problem as well.
Rescue requests totaled 61 this year, up 50 percent from last year. Non-Japanese visitors make up about 25 percent, Shizuoka area police found. An official said most were poorly equipped, suffering from cold temperatures or the height of the mountain. Yamanashi police did not have similar data.
One local visitor said restrictions will have to come.
"Any Japanese person would want to climb Mt Fuji at least once in their life," said 62-year-old Jun Shibazaki, who arrived to visit. "But it's so crowded. Limited entry might be something we have to live with."
How important is Mount Fuji to Japanese people? Why do Japanese people honor it? What impact has the recent surge in visitors to Japan had on Mt Fuji? How do officials propose to address the issues of Mt Fuji, and what measures might they consider implementing? What conditions were attached to Mt Fuji's listing as a UNESCO World Heritage area? Despite efforts by cleaners and volunteers, what issues have been commonly reported on social media concerning Mt Fuji's conditions?
Mt Fuji is considered an important religious area and Japanese honor the mountain for its perfectly balanced form. The recent surge in visitors to Japan has led to high levels of pollution and other difficulties on Mt Fuji.
Workers walk in a damaged hall at the National Museum in the southwestern city of Taiz, Yemen May 26, 2021. REUTERS/Anees Mahyoub)
Yemenʼs museums are the richest in the Arabian Peninsula. But they are a reminder of the cost the war has taken on the countryʼs cultural history.
Nature and war combined to destroy the National Museum in Taiz. Inside lies burned manuscripts and broken glass. Trees are growing through the building and have helped pull down the walls.
Ramzi al-Damini is the Taiz museum director. " Shelling destroyed the buildings,ˮ he said. “The collection was looted and fires burned downˮ rooms.
The Yemeni General Authority for Antiquities and Museums is working with the Global Heritage Fund to rebuild parts of the buildings.
The Taiz museum has lost around 70 percent of its collection. Some stolen artifacts have been found in local markets. Volunteers have also brought back other pieces.
Ahmed Jassar is with the Taiz museum. He said some pieces have been taken illegally outside the country.
"It is not easy to get them out of Yemen, only powerful people with international connections can do that," he said.
According to the museum's director, Ibrahim al-Hadi, what happened to the Sanaa National Museum? How did the Sanaa museum safeguard its collection during the beginning of the bombings in Yemen in 2015? What is the current state of the National Museum in Taiz, after being destructed by a combination of nature and war? What has the Taiz museum lost due to the war and looting? According to Ahmed Jassar, why is it difficult to illegally take artifacts out of Yemen? The Sanaa National Museum, directed by Ibrahim al-Hadi, experienced some destruction due to the areas around it being targeted, leading to the loss of some artifacts and cracks in the museum's walls.
The Sanaa museum safeguarded its collection during the beginning of the bombings in Yemen in 2015 by moving most of the collection to safe rooms in the museum. The current state of the National Museum in Taiz is severe destruction due to a combination of nature and war. The inside of the museum contains burned manuscripts and broken glass, with trees growing through the building and pulling down walls. The Taiz museum has lost around 70 percent of its collection due to the war and looting.
According to Ahmed Jassar, it is difficult to illegally take artifacts out of Yemen because it's not easy to get them out of the country, and only powerful people with international connections can do that.
The information for the first answer is contained in the fourth paragraph.
The information for the second answer is in the sixth paragraph.
The information for the third answer is in the tenth and eleventh paragraphs.
The information for the fourth answer is in the thirteenth and fourteenth paragraphs.
The information for the fifth answer is in the last paragraph.
