The screen has since been left with a camera-sized hole that authorities are working to repair.
A town in Japan is so fed up with tourists that it has erected a giant fence blocking views of the famous Mount Fuji, a popular tourist attraction.
The 20-metre-long, 2.5-metre-high fence is covered in black mesh netting, which doesn’t exactly make for a social media-friendly backdrop for the tourists who flock there to take selfies.
But the screen has small holes that tourists use to take photos of the iconic view. Just a week after the fence was erected, authorities have found around 10 holes, all at eye level and apparently just large enough for a camera lens to fit through. Authorities are working to repair the holes.
Fujikawaguchiko is known for having some of the best views of the mountains in Japan. But the locals tourist They close off sidewalks and stop traffic to get the perfect shot.
A particularly popular spot was outside a Lawson store, where, from a certain angle, it looked as if Mount Fuji was perched on the store’s roof. touristMost foreigners call this store “Mt. Fuji Lawson.”
“Kawaguchiko is a town that depends on tourism, and I welcome many tourists, and the town does too, but we have many concerns about their manners,” says Motomochi Michie, owner of a cafe serving izakaya cuisine in Kawaguchiko. Japanese Sweets near the photo spot.
Motomochi cited examples of these offenses, including littering, crossing busy roads, ignoring traffic lights, and trespassing on private property.
The town spent 1.3 million yen (7,700 euros) to install black mesh netting and additional fencing along the sidewalk.
Officials say the screens have helped decongest the area.
Where else can tourists take photos of Mount Fuji?
However, there are other places where tourists can find great photo spots.
Yamanashi Prefecture is also home to the Yoshida Route, the most popular of the four routes to the 3,776-metre summit. Mountain – Ahead of this year’s Mount Fuji climbing season, a reservation system has been introduced to reduce crowding, litter and safety risks.
Under the new plan, only a maximum of 4,000 climbers will be allowed on the trail per day for a fee of 2,000 yen (about 18 euros), with the option to donate an additional 1,000 yen (about 9 euros) towards conservation efforts during the climbing season, which runs from July 1 to September 10.
Designated UNESCO Mount Fuji, which was registered as a World Heritage Site in 2013, was once a place of pilgrimage.
Today the mountain is popular with hikers who climb to the summit to watch the sunrise, but the amount of trash left behind – including plastic bottles, food and clothing – has become a major problem.
Are there any other places trying to crack down on overtourism?
Kawaguchiko is not the first place to try to reclaim its homeland from tourists, but their resistance is one of the boldest we’ve seen so far.
Also, in Japan, in the geisha district of Kyoto Some roads were closed Against tourists who “misbehave”.
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Venice, one of Italy’s most popular tourist destinations, has long struggled to control the number of tourists who often outnumber its residents. They recently Day tripper rates Similarly No loudspeakers allowed.
