Opinion

Manners and Mount Fuji

By DAVID ZOPPETTI

Last month I discovered a new spot for my favorite hobby: paragliding. The Asagiri Kogen highlands on the western side of Mount Fuji offer the ideal conditions for flying: A range of mountains to take off from with a steady southern wind that shoots straight upward when it hits them, to keep you soaring high in the sky for as long as you wish.

Seen from afar, Mount Fuji is certainly one of the most breath-taking sights in this country. Its majestic shape has been the object of more paintings, carvings, stamps and photographs than any other mountain I can think of.

But when you actually set foot on the mountain, a totally different reality is awaiting you.

It is estimated that during the climbing season an average of 4 million hikers come here. On a busy mid-summer weekend, there will be as many as 20,000 climbers a day! And the amount of trash they leave in their wake is simply overwhelming.

There are empty cans, plastic bottles, cigarette butts, candy wrappings, half-eaten "bento" boxes ... you name it,it's bound to be up there. According to a survey by the Environment Agency, all this trash adds up to approximately 500 tons every year!

As most of the litter cannot be brought back down, there is a number of huge garbage dumps — of the type you find in the outskirts of major cities — scattered in the less frequented areas of the mountain.

Staff members of the agency, as well as an innumerable number of volunteers spend days and days each summer with plastic bags in hand in an effort to gather some of this garbage. But there is much more than what they can cope with.

Another problem is the public toilets. Those at the summit were built in 1966 and are practically falling in decay. As there is no plumbing system up there, this means that literally tons of ... well you understand ... simply go sliding down the slopes every year.

Last summer, so-called "tip-toilets" (toilets where you have to leave a tip of at least 100) were installed in two locations. The money is used for cleaning and maintenance.

The "jukai" forest surrounding the lower part of Mount Fuji is known as a notorious junkyard. Here it is not only small garbage that is abandoned, but things like electrical appliances, used tires and even old cars or motorbikes.

Mount Fuji is a giant filter for all the rainwater and the water resulting from the snow melt. There is a huge natural water reservoir under the mountain that collects all this water and is used by the cities and communities surrounding the mountain.

But having seen the state of this filter, I cannot help having doubts as to the quality of the water.

In past years, the mountain huts on Mount Fuji removed all trash bins. This is because even when they were full, people used the excuse of their proximity to deposit their litter close by. Instead, they put up signs saying: "Whatever you bring up with you should go back down with you!"

This is a basic and simple rule when mountain climbing. I hope that those of you who plan to go to Mount Fuji this summer will keep it in mind.

Shukan ST: June 23, 2000

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