DOCOMO, Shizuoka and Yamanashi Prefectures to Encourage Overseas Climbers to Use Free Wi-Fi Service on Mt. Fuji

TOKYO, JAPAN, June 30, 2015 --- NTT DOCOMO, INC., Shizuoka Prefecture and Yamanashi Prefecture jointly announced today that they will launch a free Wi-Fi® service to encourage overseas climbers to make use of DOCOMO's Wi-Fi network on the slopes of iconic Mount Fuji, Japan's highest mountain and one of UNESCO's World Cultural Heritage Sites. The service at selected hotspots will begin on July 10.

The joint initiative is aimed at attracting more overseas visitors to Shizuoka and Yamanashi prefectures, home to Mount Fuji, one of Japan's most popular destinations during the summer climbing season.

The free Wi-Fi service will be available at eight hotspots, including several trailheads in Shizuoka or Yamanashi prefectures that can be reached by vehicles, as well as the 3,776-meter summit.

Shizuoka will distribute about 20,000 multilingual fliers—English, traditional and simplified Chinese, and Korean—and Yamanashi about 50,000 English fliers. Distribution sites will include trailheads on the mountain itself, such as the popular fifth station. The fliers will contain information on how to access the service, as well as tips on ascending the mountain safely.

Users will simply select the "Welcome_to_Fujisan_Summit" SSID on their Wi-Fi screen and enter the user ID and password specified on the flier. Connectivity will last for 72 hours from initial logon.

The service periods will differ by location: July 10 to September 10 at three major trailheads in Shizuoka, July 10 to September 14 at the Yoshida trailhead at the fifth station in Yamanashi and July 10 to September 10 (subject to change) at the summit.

According to Japan's Ministry of the Environment, more than 285,000 people climbed Mount Fuji during the climbing season last summer.

Going forward, DOCOMO will continue working to enhance overseas visitors' experiences with DOCOMO's reliable Wi-Fi environment in Japan toward 2020.