Breaking News English

Japan's Mt Fuji's UNESCO World Heritage status is [under / over] threat due to over-tourism. The iconic peak was [enlisted / listed] as a world heritage site in 2013. However, a [spoke / spike] in the number of tourists scaling the majestic mountain is threatening [that / their] listing. Japan is experiencing a post-covid tourist boom, and many visitors are making a [beeline / hairline] for Fuji-san's climbing [trails / trials] . Mt. Fuji is so sacred in Japan that many Japanese hope to climb it at least once [in / on] their lives. The burgeoning number of climbers is [causing / causal] environmental damage on the slopes. Litter is strewn across the volcanic ash, and large parking lots have been constructed to [house / accommodate] tourists. These are an eyesore on the mountain's once-pristine [habit / habitat] .

A [local / locally] official told reporters that: "Fuji faces a real crisis. Tourism has become uncontrollable, and we [afraid / fear] that Mt Fuji will soon become so unattractive, nobody [would / should] want to climb it." He added: "Fuji-san is screaming [on / in] pain. We can't just wait [for / to] improvement; we need to tackle over-tourism now." The mountain's fifth base station has seen a 50 per cent jump [on / in] visitors since 2013, with about four million visitors this summer. Another [backache / headache] for local authorities is "bullet climbers". These are people who attempt to ascend and [rescind / descend] Fuji in 24 hours. They risk [getting / gotten] altitude sickness and hypothermia. The official climbing season ended on Sunday, giving Fuji a respite [to / from] further damage.