A huge barrier to block views of Mount Fuji will be installed at a popular photo spot by Japanese authorities exasperated by crowds of badly behaved foreign tourists.
Construction of the mesh net – 2.5 metres (8ft) high and the length of a cricket pitch at 20 metres – will begin as early as next week, an official from Fujikawaguchiko town said on Friday.
“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 told Agence France-Presse.
It is the latest direct action in Japan against over-tourism after residents of Kyoto’s geisha district banned visitors from small private alleys this year.
Record numbers of overseas tourists are travelling to Japan, where the number of monthly visitors exceeded 3 million in March for the first time.
Mount Fuji, Japan’s highest mountain, can be photographed from many spots in the resort town of Fujikawaguchiko. This viewpoint is particularly popular because the majestic – and active – 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 were ignored, 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 tourists who sometimes park there without permission and have even been seen climbing on to the roof of the clinic to get the perfect shot, the official said.
The town wished it had not been forced to take action, the official said, adding that the current plan was for the screen to stay up until the situation improves.
Japan has been a booming tourist destination since pandemic-era border restrictions were lifted, and the government has been working hard to boost visitor numbers. But this has not been universally welcomed, including in Kyoto, where people have complained of snap-happy tourists harassing the city’s immaculately dressed geisha.
This summer, hikers using the most popular route to climb Mount Fuji will be charged ¥2,000 each (£10.50, $13.35, A$20.50), with numbers capped to ease congestion.
Other destinations are also struggling with over-tourism. On Thursday, Venice began charging day-trippers to enter the city, while last week tens of thousands of people across the Canary Islands called for a freeze on visitor numbers.
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Guardian
