Mt. Fuji’s climbing season began on July 1 on the Yamanashi Prefecture side with new rules in place. 

Climbers of Japan’s tallest mountain must now book a spot in advance, pay a hiking fee of 2,000 yen each and wear a wristband. 

S/ Yamanashi prefectural government official / It's July 1 now. An ordinance has been enforced, so we will close the gate. 

The new gate at the fifth station will be closed from 4 p.m. to 3 a.m. to prevent people from hiking during the night. 

This was the first time for entry restrictions to be implemented on Mt. Fuji. 

At 3 a.m., the gate opened to process climbers. 

On the opening day, strong wind forced staffers to temporarily stop climbers from entering the trail. 

A tollway connecting the foot of Mt. Fuji with the fifth station was also closed from midnight to around 9 a.m. due to wind. 

The entry restrictions are expected to help activities for the conservation of Mt. Fuji, which was designated as a UNESCO World Heritage site in 2013.