Manners and Mount Fuji
By DAVID ZOPPETTI
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富士山と登山マナー
富士山と登山マナー
富士山は遠くから見るととても美しい山だが
登ってみると、ごみの多さに驚かされる。
いろいろなごみ減らし対策を実施しても
対処しきれないほどだ。
登山者は現状をふまえてマナーを守るべきだ。
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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
(C) All rights reserved
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