Yamanashi Pref. decides to charge for helicopter rescues on Mt. Fuji

Japan's Yamanashi Prefecture said Monday it will start charging climbers for rescue operations by its disaster prevention helicopter on Mt. Fuji during the normally closed season if they fail to submit climbing plans.The prefecture aims to introduce the system next September in an effort to deter risky climbs outside the official climbing season, which generally runs from July 1 to Sept. 10.Yamanashi and neighboring Shizuoka Prefecture, which oversee climbing routes on the 3,776-meter peak, have seen an increase in off-season and unplanned climbs, some of which have left climbers stranded o…READ FULL ARTICLE