Mount Fuji, the emblem on postcards and tourism posters, stands on land that is largely not public. Most of the summit area and major trails lie on property held by a private religious organization, while government agencies operate there through long term lease arrangements instead of direct ownership.
This structure means that national park authorities manage visitor flows, safety rules, and conservation plans under a framework closer to a concession contract than sovereign control. Zoning, maintenance of popular routes, and placement of facilities all require coordination with the religious landholder, which keeps legal title even as public bodies handle daily oversight.
The arrangement highlights a layered system of property rights beneath a site widely treated as a national symbol. It also shapes how user fees, insurance liabilities, and environmental impact assessments are negotiated, turning every climbing season into a practical exercise in shared governance over Japan’s most recognizable peak.
