FUJIKAWAGUCHIKO, Japan (AP) — The city of Fujikawaguchiko has had enough of tourists.
The city is known for its numerous scenic photo spots that offer a near-perfect shot of Japan’s famous Mount Fuji. On Tuesday, she began building a large black screen on a sidewalk to block the view of the mountain. The reason: misbehaving foreign tourists.
“Kawaguchiko is a city based on tourism and I welcome many visitors and the city also welcomes them, but there are many things about their manners that are worrying,” said Michie Motomochi, owner of a cafe that sells Japanese sweets “Ohagi” served. near the soon-to-be-closed photo spot.
Motomochi mentioned littering, crossing the street in heavy traffic, ignoring traffic lights and trespassing on private property. But she’s not dissatisfied – 80% of her customers are foreign visitors, whose numbers have surged after a pandemic pause that kept Japan closed for about two years.
Their neighborhood suddenly became a popular spot about two years ago, apparently after a photo taken from a certain angle showing Mount Fuji in the background as if it were sitting on the roof of a local supermarket became a social media frenzy. Sensation called “Mt. Fuji Lawson,” city officials say.
The tourists, mostly foreign, have since flocked to the small area, sparking a wave of concerns and complaints from residents about visitors blocking the narrow sidewalk, taking photos on the busy street or trespassing on neighbors’ properties, officials said.
In Europe, concerns about overcrowding of historic cities by tourists led Venice last week to launch a pilot program that charges day-trippers a 5 euro ($5.35) entry fee. Authorities hope this will deter visitors from traveling on peak days and make the city more livable for its dwindling residents.
Fujikawaguchiko has tried other methods: posting signs in English, Chinese, Thai and Korean asking visitors not to run into the street and to use the designated crosswalk, and even hiring a security guard to control crowds. None worked.
The black mesh net will be 2.5 meters (8.2 feet) tall and 20 meters (65.6 feet) long when completed in mid-May, almost completely blocking views of Mount Fuji, officials said.
Dozens of tourists gathered and took photos on Tuesday, even though Mount Fuji was out of sight due to cloudy weather.
Anthony Hok from France thought the screen was an overreaction. “Too big a solution for a not so big issue, even if tourists cause trouble. “Doesn’t look right to me,” he said. The 26-year-old suggested setting up roadblocks for safety rather than blocking the view for photos.
But Helen Pull, a 34-year-old visitor from Britain, understood the local concerns. As she traveled through Japan in recent weeks, she observed how tourism “has really increased here in Japan from what we’ve seen.”
“I can understand why people who live and work here would want to do something about it,” she said, noting that many took photos even when the mountain was out of view. “That’s the power of social media.”
Foreign visitors have been flocking to Japan since pandemic border restrictions were lifted, partly due to the weaker yen.
Last year, Japan had more than 25 million visitors, and the number is expected to exceed nearly 32 million this year, a record set in 2019, according to the Japan National Tourism Organization. And the government wants more tourists.
While booming tourism has helped the industry, it has sparked complaints from residents of popular tourist destinations such as Kyoto and Kamakura. In Kyoto, a famous geisha district recently decided to close some alleys on private property.
The locals are unsure what to do.
Motomochi said she couldn’t imagine how the black screen could help control the flow of people on the narrow pedestrian walkway and the street next to it.
Yoshihiko Ogawa, who runs a more than half-century-old rice shop in the Fujikawaguchiko area, said overcrowding had worsened in recent months as tourists gathered between 4 and 5 a.m. and chatted loudly. Sometimes he finds it difficult to get his car in and out of the garage.
“We never thought we would be in a situation like this,” Ogawa said, adding he wasn’t sure what the solution might be. “I think we all just have to get used to it.”
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Yamaguchi reported from Tokyo.