Original Japanese Declaration
Unofficial English Translation
- English translation (PDF) here: https://hokw.jp/yondan-eng
- English translation (JPG) here: https://hokw.jp/yondan-eng-img
DECLARATION BY THE ‘BIG FOUR’ ALPINE ASSOCIATIONS
(unofficial translation by HokkaidoWilds.org)
20th April, 2020
To all those who love mountain-related activities
As novel coronavirus infections continue to increase, the various regional state-of-emergencies have now been expanded to the entire country.
In order to protect mountain hut staff from infection, and in order to avoid overnight hikers from spreading infection to each other (due to the three C’s), many mountain huts and sports climbing facilities continue to close.
The novel coronavirus is one where the incubation period is long, infected individuals may not be aware of any symptoms, and where many who recover may again become infected. Another characteristic of the virus is that many asymptomatic carriers of the virus are the young and middle-aged.
People are being asked to stay at home, work from home, and commercial places of business are closing. In this way, all citizens are currently feeling the pressure of a cramped new normal. In such situations, one might seek to get away from the city seeking fresh air and nature through hiking and climbing. However, doing so spreads infection to those destination areas, and those themselves who love the mountains risk infecting others around them.
In order to overcome this state of emergency, we ask all those who love mountain sports to focus on consideration of others, to defend themselves against infection, and we The Big Four mountaineering/alpine associations, strongly request until the state of emergency is over that people do not engage in mountain-related activities.
We hope that through the understanding and cooperation of those involved in mountain-related activities, we might all contribute to the halting of the spread of infection, and we hope that all those individual actions might hasten the end of this unprecedented situation.
We hope for a swift end to this state of emergency, and look forward to the day we can meet again on the mountains, the crags, and in the climbing gyms.
The Big Four Alpine/Mountaineering Associations (山岳四団体 sangaku yondantai)
Japan Mountaineering and Sports Climbing Association (日本山岳・スポーツクライミング協会)
Japan Worker’s Alpine Federation (日本勤労者山岳連盟)
Japanese Alpine Club (日本山岳会)
Japan Mountain Guides Association (日本山岳ガイド協会)
