Mount Fuji's eco-friendly future: Chinese tram system might replace tourist buses

Japanese officials are looking at a new-tech solution for Mount Fujiʼs transport problems - a trackless rubber-tired tram made by CRRC Corp Ltd. The system will replace regular tourist buses that currently crowd the sacred mountain

The project aims to fix two big issues at once: cutting down pollution and managing the huge number of visitors (more than 200‚000 climbers visited during summer 24). The tram will use magnetic road markers and wont need a driver; its gonna run on locally-made hydrogen which makes it super eco-friendly

Mount Fuji got its UNESCO listing about 11 years ago‚ but there was a catch - Japan had to deal with over-tourism and fix up some not-so-natural parts like those big parking lots. The new plan is pretty smart: theyʼll use the Fuji Subaru Line thats already there and stop all other vehicles from going up

The money part looks good too; this tram system should cost around 40% less than the first rail idea (which wouldʼve needed about 140-billion yen). Yamanashi Prefecture wants to test it next spring; theyʼre thinking big - planning to connect it with local towns and maybe even hook up with Central Japan Railwayʼs super-fast maglev trains in the 30s

The whole thing is part of a bigger plan to make Mount Fuji - that 3‚776-meter high symbol of Japan - stay beautiful for future visitors. Its not just about moving people around: its about keeping Japans most famous mountain clean and sacred