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Tag - mountains

 
 

MOUNTAINS

Hunters and a police officer approach a man wearing a bear costume during a drill for a bear intrusion in Yaita, Tochigi Prefecture, last month.
ENVIRONMENT / Wildlife
Jul 2, 2026
Japan deploys bear cameras in mountains as attacks surge
Bears have killed at least five people since April 1, all in the northern region of Tohoku.
Everest survivor Dawa Sherpa's daughter Mendo Lhamu Sherpa applies ointment on his frostbitten hands in Kathmandu on June 18.
ASIA PACIFIC
Jun 24, 2026
Trapped on Everest for days, Nepalese survivor recounts escape
The mountaineer had nearly given up hope, and his family at home had begun mourning his death, till an avalanche came to save him.
The number of mountaineering accidents in Japan reached a total of 3,122 in 2025, up by 176 year on year and the second-highest level on record, according to National Police Agency data.
51³Ô¹ÏÍø / Society
Jun 18, 2026
Japan saw record 3,623 people encounter mountaineering accidents in 2025
Overall, accidents mainly occurred due to people getting lost, or falling or slipping on slopes, though bear attacks accounted for 27 cases ¡ª tripling from the previous year.
New and old long-distance hiking trails hope to draw tourists from crowded cities to unhurried rural regions.
LIFE / Travel
Apr 4, 2026
¡®If you walk, you will see¡¯: National parks bet on trekking tourists
Multiday hikes through Japan¡¯s most rural stretches aim to benefit locals and visitors alike.
Norio Kimura (right), head of a group of 162 residents in Yamaguchi Prefecture and other areas seeking an injunction against the Ikata nuclear power plant in Ehime Prefecture, speaks at a news conference on Thursday in the city of Iwakuni after their lawsuit was dismissed.
51³Ô¹ÏÍø / Crime & Legal
Feb 27, 2026
Court rejects bid to halt nuclear reactor in western Japan
The plaintiffs had argued that operations at the No. 3 reactor of the Ikata nuclear power plant in Ehime Prefecture should be suspended due to safety concerns.
The woman behind the Lost Filipina blog says typical social media fame interests her much less than the hikes she continues to map out.
LIFE / Travel
Feb 16, 2026
Off the beaten feed: Comprehensive site steers hikers in Japan past social media noise
English-language guides to hiking Japan¡¯s many mountains can be scarce, but one Filipina resident has taken it upon herself to map out the country¡¯s many trails.
View of Sakurajima from the mainland of Kagoshima Prefecture
51³Ô¹ÏÍø
Nov 16, 2025
Ashfall warning issued in southern Japan as volcano erupts
Sakurajima, one of Japan¡¯s most active volcanoes, erupted before dawn, sending ash and smoke up to 4,400 meters into the sky.
Climbers on Mount Fuji's Yoshida Trail in July 2024
51³Ô¹ÏÍø
Sep 30, 2025
Yamanashi Prefecture doubles Mount Fuji revenue to ?590 million
This year the prefecture doubled the entrance fee for the mountain¡¯s most popular route ¡ª the Yoshida Trail ¡ª from ?2,000 to ?4,000.
Kokichi Akuzawa, a 102-year-old Japanese man with a serious hear condition, has been certified as the oldest person to climb Mount Fuji.
51³Ô¹ÏÍø
Aug 27, 2025
Japanese climber, 102, sets Mount Fuji record
¡°I have been there and seen the view many times, it wasn¡¯t anything special,¡± said Kokichi Akuzawa, shrugging off the feat.
Climbers complete their entry procedures at the fifth station of the Fujinomiya trail in Shizuoka Prefecture on Thursday.
51³Ô¹ÏÍø
Jul 11, 2025
Mount Fuji opens to climbers in Shizuoka
The mountain is open for climbing until Sept. 10.
A gate to check climbers at Mount Fuji's fifth station in Fujiyoshida, Yamanashi Prefecture, on June 13. Climbers who do not have the necessary climbing equipment may be barred from using the trails.
51³Ô¹ÏÍø / Society
Jun 30, 2025
Mount Fuji¡¯s ?4,000 entrance fee kicks in for all routes
Climbers paid ?2,000 to scale the mountain via the popular Yoshida trail last year, while those who made the journey through other routes did not have to pay anything.
Mount Fuji is considered one of Japan's most iconic symbols and is a major draw for tourists. It's still a mountain, though, and potential hikers need to properly prepare for any climb.
51³Ô¹ÏÍø / Society / Longform
Jun 30, 2025
What it takes to save lives on Mount Fuji
Mount Fuji¡¯s deadliest weekend still echoes today. Luckily, area rescue squads have leveled up their game.
Huascaran, the highest peak in Peru
51³Ô¹ÏÍø
Jun 27, 2025
Japanese climber dies on Peru¡¯s highest peak
Chiaki Inada, a 40-year-old doctor, became unable to move due to poor health apparently caused by hypothermia.
According to the National Police Agency, Japan recorded 2,946 mountain-related accidents last year involving 3,357 individuals.
51³Ô¹ÏÍø
Jun 19, 2025
Police agency records 3,357 people in mountain accidents last year
The number of fatalities and missing persons in 2024 stood at 300, a decrease of 35 from the previous year.
For Isamu Tatsuno, the founder and CEO of outdoor gear maker Montbell, his youth was all about reaching the pinnacle. Today, he¡¯s far more interested in enjoying the journey.
BUSINESS / Companies
Jun 9, 2025
Montbell founder went from a feeble boy to a renowned mountaineer
Drawing on his experience as a climber, Isamu Tatsuno planned ahead for the survival of his outdoor gear and clothing company. It paid off.
The Hokkaido East Trail links some of the northern prefecture's most striking national parks and landscapes.
LIFE / Travel
May 24, 2025
In search of untouched Japan? Meet Hokkaido¡¯s newest hiking trail.
The 410-kilometer Hokkaido East Trail links three national parks as it winds through marshland, calderas and more.
Mount Fuji fills the skyline above a bridge connecting stores at a popular outlet shopping center in the city of Gotemba, Shizuoka Prefecture, in November 2024.
51³Ô¹ÏÍø / Society
May 15, 2025
Irresponsible climbing prompts debate over who should pay for Mount Fuji rescues
Rescue teams put themselves in grave danger, and the cost of flying a helicopter for a rescue can be up to between ?600,000 and ?800,000.
Climbers gather on the first day of the climbing season on the Yoshida Trail at the fifth station on the slopes of Mount Fuji in Fujiyoshida, Yamanashi Prefecture, on July 1, 2024.
51³Ô¹ÏÍø
Apr 28, 2025
Man rescued from Mount Fuji twice in one week, local media reports
Police could not immediately confirm reports saying the man had returned on Friday to retrieve his phone.
The reservation system is aimed at reducing congestion and preventing people from climbing Japan's tallest mountain in casual clothes.
51³Ô¹ÏÍø
Apr 17, 2025
Bookings for climbing Mount Fuji this season to begin April 24
To make reservations to enter the Yoshida Trail on the Yamanashi side of the mountain, climbers are required to pay an entrance fee of ?4,000 per person in advance.
Scenes like this snow-covered bridge leading to the village of Shirakawa-go are what make the Three-Star Road worth traveling ¡ª its name notwithstanding.
LIFE / Travel
Mar 29, 2025
Traveling the Three-Star Road, the tourist route made from thin air
Linking mountainous Matsumoto and coastal Kanazawa, this clunkily named route includes nonetheless fantastic sites.

Longform

For many people, utility poles and power lines have become such a familiar part of Japan¡¯s landscape that they often go unnoticed.
Why Japan¡¯s utility poles won¡¯t be disappearing anytime soon

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