LOSING ITS WAY

Rising accidents in Japan's mountain trails highlight critical need for repairs

Editor's note: In this weekly feature China Daily gives voice to Asia and its people. The stories presented come mainly from the Asia News Network (ANN), of which China Daily is among its 20 leading titles.

With hiking growing in popularity, maintaining mountain trails has become a pressing challenge. While some routes have attracted volunteers, there are still many trails that are not well maintained. These trails risk falling into disrepair, which could cause accidents.

There has been a concerning rise in the number of trail accidents. In 2023, there were 3,568 accidents in the mountains, according to a report from Japan's National Police Agency. "Getting lost" accounted for 34 percent of accidents, and "slipping and falling" and "falling down" each accounted for 17 percent.