TOKYO - The city of Matsumoto in central Japan may introduce a fee for tourists and climbers visiting Kamikochi, a highland resort facing growing visitor pressure, as early as fiscal 2028, to help fund landscape conservation and measures against natural disasters.
The city's move in Nagano Prefecture comes as visitor numbers to Kamikochi, part of the Chubu Sangaku National Park in the Northern Japan Alps, have risen sharply since the end of the pandemic.
According to statistics compiled by the city government, the total number of visitors reached about 1.66 million in 2025, while the number of overnight stays by foreign guests topped 20,000, roughly double the 2017 level.
The influx has added to management challenges, including accidents involving poorly prepared climbers and illegal dumping. The area is also facing environmental changes, with a growing sika deer population damaging rare alpine plants.
In response, a study group established by the city, comprising hotel operators, transport companies and others involved in the issues, submitted a proposal to the mayor in March calling for the introduction of a visitor fee.
The group said a lack of funding has slowed efforts to address the area's problems. It also called for a new organization to manage Kamikochi more centrally, citing the time needed to coordinate decisions among many agencies and stakeholders.
Some group members have proposed a fee ranging from 1,000 yen ($6) to 2,000 yen per person, but the exact amount is still under discussion. The city may collect the fee at locations such as the Kamikochi bus terminal. In the future, payment may be possible through a smartphone app.
The move is part of a broader trend in Japan of charging visitors to popular natural and cultural sites. Since last year, Shizuoka and Yamanashi prefectures have charged climbers of Mt. Fuji 4,000 yen, while Taketomi Island in Okinawa Prefecture is moving toward a visitor tax, and Gunma Prefecture is exploring a fee for the Oze wetland area.
In a survey conducted last October by the city and the Environment Ministry of visitors to Kamikochi, 94 percent of the about 180 respondents supported the introduction of a fee.
A city official said, "It will cost money to improve management systems and address the area's problems. We need to determine how much will be necessary."
