A frustrated Japanese municipality installed a big mesh barrier on May 21st to reduce tourist photography at a famous Mount Fuji viewing point.
Fujikawaguchiko residents are tired of largely foreign tourists littering, trespassing, and breaching traffic laws to take photos of Japan’s most renowned scenery on social media.
Residents claimed the tourists would jam a sidewalk to photograph the snow-capped peak, which rises photogenically from the back of a convenience store.
On Tuesday, workers installed 8 by 65 feet of black netting.
Japan had record foreign tourists in March and April, surpassing three million each month.
However, not everyone is happy with the inflow of tourists, as much as in other popular destinations like Venice, which just started to charge visitors for day passes.
Tourists who visit the famous Geisha of Kyoto, Japan, have been the target of complaints from residents who say that visitors are intrusive paparazzi.
Another change for this summer is a fee of 2,000 Yen (USD 13) for each hiker on the most popular path up Mount Fuji. To alleviate congestion, the path will be limited to 4,000 entries.
The mountain’s Yoshida route now has an online booking system that hikers can use to secure entrance via a new gate. However, 1,000 spots will still be available for day-of entries.
Despite Mount Fuji’s perpetual snow cover, around 220,000 hikers ascend its rugged slopes from July to September.
Nighttime climbs are typical for many people who want to see the sunrise, and some even risk illness or injury by trying to reach the 12,388-foot peak without resting.
The congestion on the active volcano, a pilgrimage destination that was once serene and a symbol of Japan, has prompted regional authorities to express safety and environmental worries.
Reports have surfaced in recent weeks of residents near other famous places in the area, including the Fuji Dream Bridge, expressing their displeasure with the excessive number of tourists.
