Conservation Efforts

There are many actions taken by the Japanese government, private companies and also little efforts done by the climbers to protect the natural environment of Mount Fuji.

The Japanese government

     

The Shizuoka Prefecture and Yamanashi Prefecture have decided to deal with the conservation of Mount Fuji in cooperatively. They have set up a charter to protect the beautiful nature of Mount Fuji.

• Learn about and be familiar with the nature of Mt.Fuji and be thankful for its abundant gifts.
• Cherish and protect its beautiful nature, thus cultivating an enriched culture.
• Strive to reduce the burdens on the natural environment and live in harmony with Mt. Fuji.
• Each individual should actively work towards preservation of its environment.
• Pass on the nature,scenery,history and culture of Mt.Fuji to future generation.

Private Companies

Toyota Tsusho and Nikon has been taking part in the Mount Fuji Forest Reforestation Project devised by the OISCA-International in collaboration with Yamanashi Prefecture. Both private companies sent employees and their families to participate in the project. They helped to plant trees and also clear underbrush at Mount Fuji.

Climbers

The Japanese government have set up a Mount Fuji Guide for the climbers to follow. This guide is the rules when climbing Mount Fuji. The rules are shown below.

• Bring back your own garbage, pick up other people's

Climbers are asked to bring back their own garbage. Please also pick up trash on the trail even if they are not yours. Your cooperation is essential to keep the mountain clean.

• Bring a portable ashtray

If you are a smoker, please bring a portable ashtray and refrain from littering.

• Do not deviate from trails

Anywhere outside of the trails is unstable. Walking such a place is dangerous, and it may even trigger a rock fall. You might also damage the unique vegetation of Mt. Fuji.

• Put a cap on the pole

The surface of Mt. Fuji is crumbling. Please put a cap on the tip of your pole in order to prevent erosion of the trails.

• Do not bring pets

Your pets may cause some effects on animals and plants of Mt. Fuji. Please do not bring your pets in order to conserve the natural environment and protect wild animals.

• Refrain from capturing animals, gathering plants or sampling rocks

Mt. Fuji is designated as a special conservation area. The following activities are prohibited in such areas.
- Gathering or damaging plants
- Capturing or damaging animas
- Sampling soil or rocks
- Making bond fire
You will be punished severely if you commit any of them without permission.

• No graffiti

Do not draw graffiti on the buildings or rocks of Mt. Fuji. Placing rocks to represent words or a picture is also prohibited. These behaviors not only destroy the scenery, but also exert a harmful effect on creatures living in this unusual environment.

• Keep the toilets clean

The toilets on the mountain are environment-friendly bio-toilets.
The usage of a toilet differs depending on its type. Follow the instructions in the toilet or mountain huts. Only toilet paper and water soluble tissue paper are allowed.
Most of toilets on Mt. Fuji are maintained by tips. Please leave your tip when you use them. (An average tip is 200 yen.)

• No idling

Idling causes air pollution and have harmful influence on the ecosystem.
Please do not leave the engine idling in order to protect the beauty of Mt. Fuji.

• Automobile restriction  

The upper half of Mt. Fuji is designated as a special area by Natural Parks Law, and entering by automobile is prohibited.

If every climber follow the rules in the guide, even though it is only a little effort, they can contribute to the conservation of Mount Fuji.    

Special Mention

Mount Fuji is a distinctive feature of the geology of Japan. Mount Fuji is the highest and most beautiful mountain in Japan. It rises 3776m above sea level and its diameter is about 38km north-south, 39km east-west, when measured at the foot. This mountain is special because it is the symbol for the country. Whenever we see Mount Fuji, we will think of Japan.

Mount Fuji is a famous tourist destination in Japan. More than 200,000 people climb Mount Fuji every year, and many of them are tourists. Other than climbing Mount Fuji, tourists also go for sightseeing and hot spring.

Natural Vegetation

The vegetation in Mount Fuji are vertically distributed according to height and temperature. The base of the mountain is the most dense part and when it gets nearer to the peak, the vegetation becomes lesser and lesser. From 0m to 1600m, where it is approximately 12°C, there are Japanese cedar, Hinoki cypress, Bamboo grasses, Mizunara and Konara. From 1600m to 2500m, where it is approximately 6°C, there are Veitch fir, Northern Japanese hemlock and Nikko fir. From 2500m to 3776m ( the peak), where it is approximately 0°C, there are Ontade, Miyamaotokoyomogi, gold birch, japanese larch, moss and lichens. Details are shown in the picture above. 

Konara

Ontade

Climate

• Temperature 

Excluding parts of summer (July to August, also the official climbing season) , the monthly average temperature at Mount Fuji's peak is almost always below freezing temperature. Below is a table of the monthly average temperature of Mount Fuji.

Month	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Average High Temperature (°C)	-15.4	-15	-11.2	-5.6	-1.1	3.4	7.3	9.1	5.5	-0.6	-6.4	-12.3
Average Low Temperature (°C)	-21.7	-21.8	-18	-12	-6.9	-1.8	2.2	3.4	-0.1	-6.2	-12.3	-18.4

The lowest recorded temperature is −38.0 °C, and the highest temperature was 17.8 °C recorded in June 2008.

• Wind 

Strong winds are characteristic at Mt. Fuji's peak. The west-northwest or west wind blows throughout the year and the annual average wind velocity is 12 meters per second. The maximum instantaneous wind speed at the peak was 91.0 meters (recorded on October 5, 1964) and 84.5 meters at ground level (recorded at Cape Muroto).

In addition, the average wind velocity in August, the most tranquil month, is 7.4 meters. Considering that you feel a temperature decline of 1^oC when the wind speed increases by 1 meter, the strong wind at the peak is extremely severe.

• Clouds 

"Kasagumo" just being generated at the peak

Clouds are formed when warm air and water vapor hit the mountain, making air drift up the incline and the vapor become concentrated. Clouds formed when crossing the mountain are called "kasagumo" while clouds generated after crossing are called "tsurushigumo." It is said that they are a sign the weather is about to change.  

Location of Mount Fuji

Location of Mount Fuji

Mount Fuji lies about 600 kilometers south-west of Tokyo, Japan which is situated at the Asian continent. It is located in the Chubu region on the Japanese island Honshu, on the Shizuoka Prefecture.  Prefectures of Japan: The prefectures of Japan are the country's 47 subnational jurisdictions