FUJISAN is now listed among the world's treasures, but did you know that the UNESCO World Heritage Committee also gave us "homework" in the form of issues that need to be addressed? Japan must submit a State of Conservation Report that includes detailed measures for protecting the cultural landscape within three years after registration - by February 1, 2016. If the response to the indicated issues is not sufficient, then further "homework" may be assigned. So what are these issues?
How suitable are the current mountain climbing trails and mountain huts for the expected growing numbers of climbers in the future? A careful investigation and study must be performed, and facility improvements need to be considered based on the results. We must study "how to provide good FUJISAN climbing experiences for climbers".
FUJISAN has been added to the list of World Heritage sites, and its value must be properly communicated to future generations. The relationships between the pilgrimage route and the area's cultural assets must be made clear, and specific plans for promoting and communicating them to the world.
FUJISAN has been an object of worship since ancient times. However over the ages, many different pilgrimage routes were used, with some later becoming roadways, and the relationships between the pilgrimage route and the spiritual sites and shrines have been lost. We must determine the relationships between the pilgrimage route and the 25 related cultural assets, and create an overall picture of this relationship.
FUJISAN is a mountain of worship, and includes facilities and roads that are necessary for climbing the mountain, including a climbing trail, mountain huts, and a tractor path. We must submit an overall preservation plan that indicates how these should be harmonized and put to best combined use in the future.
How will climbers be protected from natural disasters including volcanic eruption, storms and floods, landslides, earthquakes, and fires? More detailed plans must be submitted.
Conservation does not mean that all activities should be prohibited. FUJISAN is also an important place to the people who have been living there since ancient times. We must consider specific plans for how to balance preservation of the cultural landscape with development in areas of less-strict regulations.
Even if the region is properly preserved now, it will still change over time. That is a consequence of nature. We need to create specific plans for properly observing the inevitable changes in FUJISAN over time.