Majestic mount: A general view of cherry blossom trees with Mount Fuji in the background at Lake Kawaguchiko, Fujikawaguchiko. — Reuters
A HUGE black barrier to block Mount Fuji from view will be installed in a popular photo spot by Japanese authorities exasperated by crowds of badly behaved foreign tourists.
Construction of the mesh net – 2.5m high and the length of a cricket pitch at 20m – will begin as early as next week, an official from Fujikawaguchiko town said.
“It’s regrettable we have to do this, because of some tourists who can’t respect rules,” leaving litter behind and ignoring traffic regulations, he said yesterday.
It is the latest direct action in Japan against overtourism after residents of Kyoto’s geisha district banned visitors from small private alleys this year.
Record numbers of overseas tourists are travelling to the country, where monthly visitors exceeded three million in March for the first time ever.
Mount Fuji, Japan’s highest mountain, can be photographed from many spots in the resort town of Fujikawaguchiko.
But this viewpoint is particularly popular because the majestic volcano appears behind a Lawson convenience store, which are ubiquitous in Japan.
Due to this visual juxtaposition, “a reputation has spread on social media that this spot is very Japanese, making it a popular photo location,” said the town official who declined to be named.
The mostly non-Japanese tourists are overcrowding a stretch of pavement next to the Lawson shop, he said.
After traffic signs and repeated warnings from security guards fell on deaf ears, the town in Yamanashi region decided on the huge screen as a last resort.
The measure is also meant to protect a nearby dental clinic against the onslaught of tourists.
They sometimes park there without permission and have even been seen climbing on the roof of the clinic to get the perfect shot, the official said.
The town wishes it hadn’t come down to this, he said, adding that the current plan is for the screen to be maintained until the situation improves. — AFP
