Fujinomiya City Mayor HideTadao Sudo met with Shizuoka Prefecture Governor Heita Suzuki to discuss introducing fees for helicopter rescues on Mount Fuji during its off-season. This comes after a series of incidents, including a person needing rescue twice in one week in April. The prefectures of Shizuoka and Yamanashi are considering charging for such rescues.
Mayor Sudo presented a formal request asking for rescues during the closed season to incur costs, proposing that when local firefighters conduct rescues, the climbers should cover those expenses. The request also includes urging the national government to amend relevant laws.
Mayor Sudo expressed that charging for rescues could deter climbers during the closed season and emphasized the importance of this petition despite the ongoing considerations. Governor Suzuki agreed, stressing the need to discourage climbing that ignores rules and indicated that the prefecture would continue addressing the issue.
Following the meeting, Mayor Sudo stated that climbers should approach the mountain with sufficient caution and that legal changes would support this approach.
by MagazineKey4532