Unesco Advisory Panel Welcomes Mt. Fuji Railway Concept
A UNESCO advisory body has welcomed a local government proposal for a new railway for Mount Fuji, a World Heritage site in central Japan.
The highest peak in Japan was registered as a World Heritage site in 2013. It straddles the central Japanese prefectures of Shizuoka and Yamanashi.
Local officials need to address a range of challenges facing the mountain, including overcrowding and traffic jams.
The Yamanashi prefectural government drew up the concept in February last year to build a railway on an existing road, connecting the foot of Mount Fuji with the fifth station. Visitors start their climb to the peak there.
NHK has learned that International Council on Monuments and Sites, or ICOMOS, an advisory body to UNESCO, welcomed the railway concept in an internal document.
ICOMOS stated that "it could offer an integrated approach to address many of the challenges relating to visitor management and environmental degradation that are facing the property."
The advisory body also said the concept could present "an opportunity to improve the overall facilities in and around the higher stations."
But ICOMOS added that the proposal is clearly at an early stage and much work is needed to explore its feasibility and draw in support from the relevant stakeholders.
Some local residents are concerned that the railway construction could damage the environment.
The Yamanashi prefectural government hopes to gain the understanding of locals based on the opinions presented by ICOMOS.