TOKYO — A record number of climbers scaled Japan’s Mount Fuji during the summer season and deaths and injuries rose as many underestimated the trek, city officials said.

Some 247,066 people climbed the mountain in July and August, beating the previous record of 220,277, set in 1987, said Kazuwa Okuwaki, an official in Fujiyoshida, a nearby city.
Four people also died from injuries sustained while climbing, marking the first deaths since 2005, said Toshiya Arai, a local police official.

Mount Fuji is Japan’s best-known landmark and climbing it is viewed by many as a tourist outing. Gift shops along the trail sell trinkets and soft drinks, and travel companies offer one-day express tours from downtown Tokyo, which is only about 60 miles away. (more…)