Japan blocks iconic Mount Fuji view to stop tourist bad behavior

Authorities in a Japanese city on Tuesday completed the installation of a large chain-link fence that blocks views of Mount Fuji, a deliberate move to discourage ill-mannered tourists from taking photos there.

Frustrated locals have complained for years about foreign visitors to Fujikawaguchiko littering, trespassing and breaking traffic rules in search of the perfect photo of the iconic stratovolcano.

The location in question has a view of the perennial snow-capped mountain overlooking a Lawson convenience store. Residents say the many visitors to the site often park illegally or block other pedestrians from using the sidewalk.

The black net used to cover the view measures 20m by 2.5m.

“I hope the Internet will prevent dangerous activities,” Michie Motomochi, 41, who runs a traditional Japanese sweet shop in Fujikawaguchiko, told the AFP news agency.

“I think it’s disappointing that they’re putting it in place. It’s obviously an iconic photo,” said Christina Roys, 36, a tourist from New Zealand.

“But it’s completely understandable. We were here last night, managing to take the last photo before they put the wall up, and there were so many people,” she said.

The net is also intended to provide some respite to the nearby Ibishi Dental Clinic, where tourists reportedly park without permission and even climb onto the roof to take photos, reported THE Japan Times.

“It is not uncommon for people to yell insults at us or throw away their cigarettes while they are still lit when we ask them to move their car,” the clinic told CNN in a statement.

Fujikawaguchiko is a Japanese resort town located in Yamanashi Prefecture, about 100 km west of Tokyo.

Travelers have returned to Japan in large numbers since it reopened to foreign tourists following the pandemic lockdown, with more than three million visitors per month in March and April 2024 – a new record and a trend that appears likely to continue .

While ill-mannered tourists are a problem in many popular tourist destinations around the world – Venice has started charging day visitors a five euro entrance fee and Greece has capped the number of visitors to the famous Acropolis of Athens – the particular problem for Fujikawaguchiko is that people usually only come to the small town for a day trip to take a photo at this particular spot. Tourists then tend to return to Tokyo, meaning that Fujikawaguchiko’s local economy does not benefit significantly from visitors.

“I saw people walking on the roads, people using e-scooters without following traffic rules and having accidents. There have been many accidents involving foreign tourists recently,” Haruhito Tsuchiya, a 49-year-old resident who works in the tourism industry, told Reuters.

The city decided to install the fence in April, after signs and security guards failed to deter tourists.

“It is regrettable that we had to take such measures,” an official said at the time.

“Overtourism – and all its consequences such as litter, increased CO2 emissions and careless hikers – is the biggest problem facing Mount Fuji,” said Masatake Izumi, a government official in Fujian Prefecture. Yamanashi, to CNN last year.

Authorities also launched a new online reservation system for the Yoshida Trail on Mount Fuji, capping daily entry for hikers at 4,000 and imposing a mandatory fee of 2,000 yen.