Japan's Mount Fuji eyes China-made tram to transport hikers

17/11/2024 12:16

        Japanese authorities seeking to reduce the carbon footprint and overcrowding at Mount Fuji will propose a trackless, rubber-tyred tram system made by China's CRRC to transport climbers.
        
        The new proposal, which has not been previously reported, would replace the original plan to build a light-rail system connecting the base to the fifth hiking station of the popular Yoshida Trail to the top after a local city and other parties, voiced concern over its environmental and cost impact.
        
        Yamanashi Prefecture, home of the most popular route used by climbers of the 3,776-metre volcano, is set to announce the plan soon, the person told Reuters, asking for anonymity because the information is not yet public.
        
        Mount Fuji, which straddles Yamanashi and Shizuoka prefectures, is one of the most popular tourist destinations in Japan, whose numbers have surged in recent years.
        
        Pollution from the constant stream of tourist buses and cars arriving at the fifth station, as well as overcrowding on the trails, have become headaches for authorities seeking to clean up the site, which Japanese people hold sacred.