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Mount Fuji Crowds Shrink After Japan Brings in Over-Tourism Measures 

This photo taken on September 10, 2024 shows the temporary gate at the Yoshida Exit at the 5th station of Mount Fuji being closed to coincide with the end of the summer mountain climbing season, at Fujiyoshida, Yamanashi prefecture. (AFP)
This photo taken on September 10, 2024 shows the temporary gate at the Yoshida Exit at the 5th station of Mount Fuji being closed to coincide with the end of the summer mountain climbing season, at Fujiyoshida, Yamanashi prefecture. (AFP)
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Mount Fuji Crowds Shrink After Japan Brings in Over-Tourism Measures 

This photo taken on September 10, 2024 shows the temporary gate at the Yoshida Exit at the 5th station of Mount Fuji being closed to coincide with the end of the summer mountain climbing season, at Fujiyoshida, Yamanashi prefecture. (AFP)
This photo taken on September 10, 2024 shows the temporary gate at the Yoshida Exit at the 5th station of Mount Fuji being closed to coincide with the end of the summer mountain climbing season, at Fujiyoshida, Yamanashi prefecture. (AFP)

Fewer climbers tackled Mount Fuji during this year's hiking season, preliminary figures show, after Japanese authorities introduced an entry fee and a daily cap on numbers to fight overtourism.

Online reservations were also brought in this year by officials concerned about safety and environmental damage on the country's highest mountain.

The number of climbers fell by 14 percent between early July -- when the volcano's hiking trails opened for the summer -- and early September, according to the environment ministry.

To calculate its preliminary figures, the ministry used infrared devices installed on the four trails.

It comes despite Japan welcoming a record influx of foreign visitors, with nearly 18 million tourists entering the country in the first half of 2024.

Officials raised the alarm last year about overtourism at the once-peaceful pilgrimage site, with the local governor of Yamanashi region warning that "Mount Fuji is screaming".

This summer the environment ministry counted around 178,000 climbers, compared to more than 200,000 the previous year and before the pandemic.

Gates to the trails were closed on Tuesday, marking the end of the hiking season. The preliminary data runs to September 4 and will be updated on a later date, a ministry official told AFP on Wednesday.

The mountain is covered in snow most of the year but during the summer many trudge through the night to see the sunrise from the 3,776-meter (12,388-foot) summit.

This year, an entry fee of 2,000 yen ($14) plus an optional donation was charged on the popular Yoshida Trail, with numbers capped at 4,000 per day. The three other trails remained free.

Concern had been raised that some climbers were sleeping on the trail or starting fires for heat, while others became sick or injured after trying to reach the summit without breaks.

Mount Fuji is about two hours from central Tokyo by train and can be seen for miles around.

The majestic mountain is a symbol of Japan that has been immortalized in countless artworks, including Hokusai's "Great Wave".

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Power Failures Cause Disruption on London Tube

People walk at Waterloo station, after Transport for London (TfL) reported a power failure across the London Underground, London Overground and the Elizabeth line, in London, Britain, May 12, 2025. (Reuters)
People walk at Waterloo station, after Transport for London (TfL) reported a power failure across the London Underground, London Overground and the Elizabeth line, in London, Britain, May 12, 2025. (Reuters)
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Power Failures Cause Disruption on London Tube

People walk at Waterloo station, after Transport for London (TfL) reported a power failure across the London Underground, London Overground and the Elizabeth line, in London, Britain, May 12, 2025. (Reuters)
People walk at Waterloo station, after Transport for London (TfL) reported a power failure across the London Underground, London Overground and the Elizabeth line, in London, Britain, May 12, 2025. (Reuters)

Power failures caused delays and disruption on London's Tube network on Monday, as several of its busiest lines were suspended.

The Bakerloo line was completely suspended as of 1715 local time (1615 GMT), while other services including the Jubilee, Elizabeth and Piccadilly lines were facing severe or minor delays following a power outage more than two hours earlier.

Transport for London (TfL) said it was working to get the whole network back to normal service as quickly as possible.

"Due to a brief interruption of the power supply to our network, several lines lost power for a short period earlier this afternoon," TfL Chief Operating Officer Claire Mann said in a statement.

Britain's National Grid confirmed that a fault on its transmission network had caused a power failure.

"The fault was resolved within seconds and did not interrupt supply from our network, but a consequent voltage dip may have briefly affected power supplies on the low voltage distribution network in the area," a spokesperson said.

The incident also caused a small contained fire which was brought under control, National Grid said.

The potential for power failures to cause major disruption came into sharp focus in March when London's Heathrow Airport was forced to shut for 18 hours due to a fire at a nearby electrical substation, stranding hundreds of thousands of air travelers.

Transport trade union TSSA called for an inquiry into the incident to ensure a similar power outage does not happen again.

"Safety for all is key at this moment, but in due course we will need a proper inquiry into what happened and the lessons to be learned," TSSA General Secretary Maryam Eslamdoust said.