Japanese city erects mesh barrier to stop overcrowding at Mount Fuji viewing spot

A Japanese city mounted a big mesh barrier at a preferred viewing spot for Mount Fuji on Tuesday, in an try to discourage photo-taking by an ever-growing variety of vacationers.

TOPSHOT – An individual takes photos of Mount Fuji from throughout the road of a comfort retailer, hours earlier than the set up of a barrier to dam the sight of Japan’s Mount Fuji to discourage badly behaved vacationers, within the city of Fujikawaguchiko, Yamanashi prefecture on Might 21, 2024. The plan to erect a big mesh barrier throughout the highway from an Instagram-famous view of Mount Fuji made headlines final month when it was introduced by officers fed up with what locals stated had been never-ending streams of largely overseas guests littering, trespassing and breaking site visitors guidelines. (Picture by Kazuhiro NOGI / AFP)(AFP)

Japan’s most well-known sight could be seen for miles round, however Fujikawaguchiko locals are fed up with streams of largely overseas guests littering, trespassing and breaking site visitors guidelines of their hunt for a photograph to share on social media.

Parking illegally and ignoring a smoking ban, they’d cram a pavement to shoot the snow-capped mountain, which soars photogenically into the sky from behind a comfort retailer, residents stated.

“I hope that the online will stop harmful actions,” resident Michie Motomochi, 41, who runs a conventional Japanese candy store, informed AFP.

“I feel it is disappointing that they’re placing it up. It is clearly an iconic shot,” stated Christina Roys, 36, a vacationer from New Zealand.

“However it’s fully comprehensible. We had been right here final evening, managing to get the final shot earlier than they had been placing up the wall, and there have been so many individuals,” she stated.

“It is fairly harmful due to the site visitors coming by way of. There are different spots the place you will get the shot of the mountain.”

– On-line bookings –

Document numbers of abroad vacationers are coming to Japan, the place month-to-month guests exceeded three million for the primary time in March after which once more in April.

However as in different vacationer hotspots, akin to Venice — which not too long ago launched a trial of entry charges for day guests — the inflow has not been universally welcomed.

And hikers utilizing the most well-liked path to climb Mount Fuji this summer season will likely be charged 2,000 yen ($13) every, with entries capped at 4,000 to ease congestion.

A brand new on-line reserving system for the mountain’s Yoshida path opened on Monday to ensure hikers entry by way of a brand new gate, though 1,000 locations a day will likely be saved for day-of entries.

Mount Fuji is roofed in snow many of the 12 months, however in the course of the July-September mountain climbing season, greater than 220,000 guests trudge up its steep, rocky slopes.

Many climb by way of the evening to see the dawn, and a few try to achieve the three,776-metre (12,388-foot) summit with out breaks, changing into sick or injured in consequence.

Regional officers have raised security and environmental issues linked to overcrowding on the energetic volcano, an emblem of Japan and a once-peaceful pilgrimage website.

Residents close to different in style photograph spots within the area, together with the so-called Fuji Dream Bridge, have additionally reportedly complained about overtourism in latest weeks.

One tour operator that provides day journeys from Tokyo to the Mount Fuji space informed AFP they’re taking guests to a different Lawson retailer close by the place an identical view could be seen, however there are fewer close by residents.

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