ZOAHARIAN.COM – The Yamanashi Prefectural Government, Japan, has begun to finalize evacuation procedures for foreign tourists in the Mount Fuji area. This step was taken to anticipate the possibility of an eruption of the volcano which is one of the most popular tourist destinations in Sakura Country.

Preparations include simulating the transfer of tourists, providing alternative transportation, and coordinating repatriation with foreign embassies, airlines and transportation companies.

Reporting from The Japan Times, Saturday (24/10/2026), around 150 representatives of the government, ministries, transportation companies, airlines and foreign embassies took part in an evacuation simulation exercise in Fujikawaguchiko, Yamanashi Prefecture.

In the scenario, around 2,000 international tourists are depicted stranded around Kawaguchiko Station on a Saturday afternoon in July, when the area was packed with visitors.

This situation was simulated after Mount Fuji's volcanic activity warning status rose to level 3 on a five-level scale. This status limits access to the mountain and requires climbers to descend from dangerous areas.

Tourist Boats Become an Alternative to Evacuation

In this exercise, participants tested various ways to move tourists, from using buses to using tourist boats on Lake Kawaguchi.

Boats are an alternative to avoid traffic jams on the highway. This mode of transportation has a capacity of around 150 passengers with a crossing time of around 15 minutes.

After being moved from the affected area, tourists are then directed to the airport or other departure point to continue their journey or return to their country of origin.

The Mayor of Fujikawaguchiko, Hideyuki Watanabe, emphasized that disaster preparedness must be a serious concern amidst the large economic benefits from the tourism sector.

"Tourism brings economic benefits to our city, but I believe we cannot simply celebrate those benefits without recognizing the huge challenges in ensuring tourists can be evacuated safely," said Watanabe, quoted by The Japan Times.

Foreign Embassies Participate in Testing Emergency Scenarios

Efforts to prepare evacuation procedures also involve representatives of foreign embassies. In training on Thursday (22/10/2026), embassy officials, including representatives of the United States and Thailand, visited Kawaguchiko Station to discuss handling tourists if Mount Fuji's volcanic activity increases.

Quoted from Nagoya TV, Saturday (24/10/2026), one of the embassy officials assessed that tourist boats have the potential to help the evacuation process when land traffic is congested.

The representative also requested detailed information regarding transportation options that are safe and can be coordinated. This is considered important because many foreign tourists in the Mount Fuji area use rental cars to get around.

It is hoped that cross-institutional coordination can help the process of moving tourists while making it easier to arrange onward travel to the airport.

Language Barriers and Internet Networks

Apart from transportation, the simulation also discusses communication barriers between officers and foreign tourists.

One solution being considered is the use of VoiceTra, a free translator app that supports 33 languages. This application is expected to help officers convey evacuation instructions to visitors from various countries.

However, the use of this application has limitations because it relies on cloud computing services. If the internet network is disrupted during an emergency, the translation process could potentially be hampered.

The head of the working group and geoscientist, Toshitsugu Fujii, assessed that handling large-scale evacuations requires the involvement of the central government.

According to him, city and prefectural governments cannot solve all evacuation problems independently, especially if the eruption triggers traffic jams and hinders the movement of thousands of people.

"If an eruption occurs, roads become blocked and people cannot evacuate, it could be a terrible disaster. We need to address this challenge early," said Fujii, quoted by The Japan Times.

The evacuation procedure is targeted to be completed this year

The Yamanashi Prefectural Government is targeting the evacuation procedures for foreign tourists to be completed this fiscal year.

The plan will include coordination with airlines and train companies, including alternative transportation arrangements and mechanisms for returning tourists to their countries of origin.

The simulation results will also be used as evaluation material in preparing disaster management plans.

Through these preparations, the local government is trying to ensure that tourists continue to receive protection and clear direction if there is an increase in Mount Fuji's volcanic activity.

However, this evacuation drill is an anticipatory step towards potential disasters, not a statement that an eruption of Mount Fuji will occur soon.