VOA文化艺术2023--Japan Says Visitors Disrespecting Mount Fuji

Japan Says Visitors Disrespecting Mount¹ Fuji

On a gray and rainy Saturday, buses arrive continually² at a base station of Japan's Mount Fuji. The buses release³ foreign visitors in front of stores and restaurants.

The area looks similar to a theme park. It is not what most Japanese would expect below the 3,776-meter mountain. Mt Fuji is considered an important religious area. And Japanese honor⁴ the mountain for its perfectly⁵ balanced form.

"Hey, no smoking here!" a store worker told a man wearing shorts and holding a can of beer. He was standing⁶ in front of the red "torii" gate which marks the entrance to the Shinto religious center ahead.

Mt Fuji sits between the Yamanashi and Shizuoka areas in eastern Japan. It has always been popular with local and foreign visitors.

But a recent increase in visitors to Japan has led to high levels of pollution and other difficulties, officials say. They add they may be forced to take extreme measures. They may restrict⁷ the number of visitors by limiting the only way to visit the mountain by a yet-to-be-built public transportation system.

"Fuji faces a real crisis," Masatake Izumi, a Yamanashi area official, told reporters recently. It was the last weekend before the paths closed for the year.

"It's uncontrollable and we fear that Mt Fuji will soon become so unattractive, nobody would want to climb it," he said.

Mt Fuji was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage⁸ area 10 years ago, further increasing its popularity⁹. World Heritage areas are places that the UN protects for having great value to humanity¹⁰.

But the listing came with conditions that Japan reduce the number of visitors, environmental harm from visitors, and fix man-made areas designed for visitors.

However, the number of visitors has increased. "Subaru," the fifth and largest base station, had about 4 million visitors this summer. That is a 50 percent increase from 2013.

Despite the hard work of cleaners, businesses, and volunteers, social media is filled with posts about dirty bathrooms and waste along the climbing path.

Izumi worries that the International Council¹¹ on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS), which advises the World Heritage Committee, could come looking for an update.

"Bullet¹² climbing" is where climbers try to climb Japan's tallest mountain for sunrise and go down the mountain on the same day. Officials say that it is a growing problem as well.

Rescue requests totaled 61 this year, up 50 percent from last year. Non-Japanese visitors make up about 25 percent, Shizuoka area police found. An official said most were poorly equipped, suffering from cold temperatures or the height of the mountain. Yamanashi police did not have similar data.

One local visitor said restrictions¹³ will have to come.

"Any Japanese person would want to climb Mt Fuji at least once in their life," said 62-year-old Jun Shibazaki, who arrived to visit. "But it's so crowded. Limited entry might be something we have to live with."

Words in This Story

theme park – n. an amusement park where the rides and attractions are based on a particular theme

unattractive – adj. not beautiful, interesting, or pleasing

update – n. a report that includes the most recent information about something

crowded – adj. filled with too many people or things

1 mount   

n.山峰，乘用马，框，衬纸；vi.增长，骑上（马）；vt.提升，爬上，装备

参考例句：

• Their debts continued to mount up.他们的债务不断增加。
• She is the first woman who steps on the top of Mount Jolmo Lungma.她是第一个登上珠穆朗玛峰的女人。

2 continually   

adv.不间断地，不停地；多次重复地

参考例句：

• The other kids continually taunted him about his size.其他孩子不断地耻笑他的个头儿。
• The US is continually building up its armed forces.美军正持续加强它的三军。

3 release   

vt.发布，发表，发行；释放，放开

参考例句：

• After my examination I had a feeling of release.考完试后我有如释重负之感。
• This medicine will give you release from pain.这药吃后会解除你的疼痛。

4 honor   

n.光荣；敬意；荣幸；vt.给…以荣誉；尊敬

参考例句：

• I take your visit as a great honor.您的来访是我莫大的光荣。
• It is a great honor to receive that prize.能拿到那个奖是无上的光荣。

5 perfectly   

adv.完美地，无可非议地，彻底地

参考例句：

• The witnesses were each perfectly certain of what they said.证人们个个对自己所说的话十分肯定。
• Everything that we're doing is all perfectly above board.我们做的每件事情都是光明正大的。

6 standing   

n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的

参考例句：

• After the earthquake only a few houses were left standing.地震过后只有几幢房屋还立着。
• They're standing out against any change in the law.他们坚决反对对法律做任何修改。

7 restrict   

n./vt.限制，限定，约束

参考例句：

• He feels this new law will restrict his freedom. 他觉得这一新法律会限制他的自由。
• Don't restrict her proper activities.不要拘束她的正当活动。

8 heritage   

n.传统，遗产，继承物

参考例句：

• The ancient buildings are part of the national heritage.这些古建筑是民族遗产的一部分。
• We Chinese have a great cultural heritage.我们中国人有伟大的文化遗产。

9 popularity   

n.普及，流行，名望，受欢迎

参考例句：

• The story had an extensive popularity among American readers.这本小说在美国读者中赢得广泛的声望。
• Our product enjoys popularity throughout the world.我们的产品饮誉全球。

10 humanity   

n.人类，[总称]人(性)，人道[pl.]人文学科

参考例句：

• Such an act is a disgrace to humanity.这种行为是人类的耻辱。
• We should treat animals with humanity.我们应该以仁慈之心对待动物。

11 council   

n.理事会，委员会，议事机构

参考例句：

• The town council passed a law forbidding the distribution of handbills.市议会通过法律，禁止散发传单。
• The city council has declared for improving the public bus system.市议会宣布同意改进公共汽车系统。

12 bullet   

n.枪弹，子弹

参考例句：

• The bullet wound in his shoulder was opened up for treatment.切开他肩上的枪伤进行治疗。
• The bullet missed me by a hair's s breadth.那颗子弹差一点就打中了我。

13 restrictions   

约束( restriction的名词复数 )； 管制； 制约因素； 带限制性的条件（或规则）

参考例句：

• I found the restrictions irksome. 我对那些限制感到很烦。
• a snaggle of restrictions 杂乱无章的种种限制