Police say the number of traffic accidents involving foreign drivers in rental cars is on a steady rise near Mount Fuji.

Local police warn that 2023 saw the number of such accidents leap to 417 compared to 46 the year before.

They say 340 accidents have been reported by the end of June this year, outpacing accident occurrences of the same period last year by 171.

Fujiyoshida city police, with jurisdiction over the scenic Fuji Hokuroku area in Yamanashi Prefecture, say most of the accidents were single vehicle accidents in which rental cars hit curbstones, fences or other structures.

They attribute the rise to an increasing number of tourists with foreign driver's licenses renting cars while traveling in Japan after pandemic restrictions were eased last year.

Police are asking car rental firms to pass out flyers with Japanese traffic rules to urge drivers to drive more safely.