13 Evacuation Shelters to be Built on Mt. Fuji’s Yoshida Trail; Capacity for 1,750 More People on Downhill Route

The Yomiuri Shimbun

14:43 JST, December 20, 2024

KOFU — Yamanashi Prefecture plans to build 13 more evacuation shelters along a downhill route on the prefecture side of Mt. Fuji’s, the prefectural government said Thursday. A total of around 1,800 additional people will be able to shelter from lightning storms, falling rocks and ejecta during volcanic eruptions.

A fatal accident involving a falling rock occurred on Mt. Fuji in August 2019. Local governments and others have requested the construction of additional shelters.

The Yoshida Trail on the Yamanashi Prefecture side of the mountain is split into an uphill and a downhill route from around the 6th Station to the summit.

While the uphill route has at least 10 shelters, including mountain huts, the downhill route has only five, including restrooms and a hut at the 7th Station.

The new shelters are planned to be built on the downhill route below the 8th Station. Each shelter is designed to accommodate up to 135 people. The prefecture plans to begin by installing two shelters next year and gradually introducing the rest.