Japan city begins blocking Mt. Fuji view from ‘dangerous’ vacationers

A vacationer poses in entrance of a comfort retailer with Mount Fuji on Might 3, 2024, earlier than an enormous black barrier which will likely be put in to dam Mount Fuji from view, within the city of Fujikawaguchiko, Yamanashi prefecture. (AFP)

FUJIKAWAGUCHIKO, Japan – Work has begun in a small Japanese city to erect a barrier blocking views of the nation’s most well-known sight, Mount Fuji, after locals complained of dangerous behaviour by photo-hungry vacationers.
Fujikawaguchiko city started constructing panels of mesh netting at a spot the place never-ending flows of largely international vacationers go to day by day to take photographs of the majestic mountain sitting behind a Lawson comfort retailer.
Images taken from a slim stretch of pavement throughout a busy street from the Lawson retailer — that are ubiquitous in Japan — are broadly shared on-line.
Native officers and residents say whereas the city welcomes guests, they should cease vacationers from constantly crossing the road, ignoring purple lights, littering, trespassing, illegally parking and smoking outdoors of designated areas.
“It grew to become not unusual for individuals to yell at us once we requested them to maneuver their vehicles, and for them to throw their lit cigarettes (on the bottom),” a dentist’s workplace situated throughout the road from the Lawson store mentioned in an announcement.
By the center of this month, the city plans to finish the barrier, which can stand 2.5 metres (8 toes) excessive and stretch greater than 20 metres lengthy to dam the view of the mountain, with hopes that it’s going to discourage vacationers from loitering there.
The city’s transfer has prompted nationwide and worldwide headlines, as Japan experiences rising issues of overtourism, significantly at standard websites just like the slim personal alleys of Kyoto, and even trails on Mount Fuji itself, the place vacationers like to {photograph} themselves and put up on social media.
The Fujikawaguchiko city corridor has been inundated with phone calls from Japanese individuals, lots of them non-local residents, who’ve criticised the transfer to dam the view.
“It isn’t that we don’t want individuals to see Mount Fuji. The difficulty is that there are such a lot of people who find themselves not capable of observe primary guidelines,” a city official instructed AFP.

‘Fundamental manners’

Having the web barrier is unlucky however maybe vital, space residents say.
“We welcome foreigners for the revitalisation of the neighborhood, however there are such a lot of violations of primary manners, like crossing the street, dumping rubbish and trespassing into individuals’s properties,” a 60-year-old resident instructed AFP.
“In any case, they’re right here for Mount Fuji, so having that barrier may be very unlucky,” mentioned the girl, who recognized herself as Watanabe.
“There might need been different methods to cope with it, however for now I really feel it can’t be helped,” she mentioned.
Some vacationers expressed understanding and voiced hopes that the city would create a delegated picture spot.
However others speculated that the barrier could solely make issues worse.
“Cease individuals? I don’t suppose so as a result of when there’s a will there’s a approach. Folks will simply be on the left aspect of it or proper aspect of it,” mentioned 29-year-old Australian vacationer Trinity Robinson.
“There undoubtedly will likely be a technique to nonetheless get the shot. It can simply be extra harmful, actually.”
As a doable answer, a 37-year-old native man, who gave his title as Ama, known as on guests to take a look at different scenic places within the space.
“Mount Fuji from right here (close to the Lawson store) is improbable. However there are such a lot of different locations round right here the place you possibly can go to and see stunning views,” he mentioned.