Japan: Screen Blocking Mount Fuji Is Removed But Tourists Must Behave

Back in May this year, the Japanese town of Fujikawaguchiko set up a huge black screen on a sidewalk, specifically to block views of Mount Fuji. This came after too many tourists kept clogging up the town’s sidewalks while contributing little to its economy. It turns out the move was effective and the town has taken it down, but they warn tourists to behave, and if similar numbers visit Fujikawaguchiko for the view of Mount Fuji, the screen will be reinstalled.

Screen blocking Mount Fuji in Fujikawaguchiko has been removed

On May 21, 2024, workers in the town of Fujikawaguchiko in Yamanashi prefecture, central Japan, installed a huge black screen on a sidewalk to block views of Mount Fuji. The reason for it being installed in the first place was overtourism, as too many tourists visited the town, just to photograph the view of the iconic mountain.

At that time, locals in the town were so fed up about the hordes of tourists clogging their streets, that officials built a huge screen to block the view everyone was coming for – Mount Fuji. The screen consisted of a 65 feet long and 8.2-foot high fence, clad in black mesh to prevent tourists taking selfies with the mountain.

Screen blocking view of Mount Fuji removed to avoid typhoon damage https://t.co/57rn6aPney

— Anne Sewell (@anners2008) August 28, 2024

However, the screen has now been removed, initially as a precaution due to a typhoon warning, but local authorities decided it could stay down for the time being. However, they do warn that the screen could be reinstalled if tourists return in large numbers.

“We wanted to see what would happen,” a town official told the Japan Times, adding:

There are still some people who come to the place, but we no longer find many people suddenly rushing out into the traffic to cross the road. We feel like it has been effective.

Why did Fujikawaguchiko put up the black screen?

The town of Fujikawaguchiko is famed for offering some of the best views of Mount Fuji and tourists came to the town in droves to take the best selfies for Instagram. However, locals finally had enough of tourists blocking pavements and stopping traffic to take the perfect selfie.

Among the best places in the town for the view was just outside a Lawson convenience store. Reportedly, from here, if taken at a certain angle, makes it seem like Mount Fuji is sitting on the store’s roof. Meanwhile, the visitors, mainly foreigners, dubbed the spot “Mt. Fuji Lawson.”

Michie Motomochi, who owns a café selling Japanese candy close to the photo spot, said:

Kawaguchiko is a town built on tourism, and I welcome many visitors, and the town welcomes them too, but there are many things about their manners that are worrying.

Motomochi spoke of the tourists littering the area, crossing the road through busy traffic and ignoring traffic lights. Moreover, they were known to trespass on private properties to take the perfect shot.

Meanwhile, officials in the town spent 1.3 million yen ($8,558) to install the black mesh, along with more fences along the sidewalk. Even with the screen in place, tourists at first had little respect for the measure and made holes in the fence, all at eye level and just the right size to fit a camera lens through. However, since that time, the screen has done its work and has eased congestion in the area.

New booking system for Mount Fuji

Moreover, it turns out tourists cause problems on the mountain itself. The Yoshida Trail is the most popular route to summit the 12,388-ft high mountain where officials hope to stop overcrowding, safety risks and littering. Officials have introduced a booking system ahead of the mountain’s climbing season to ease the overcrowding.

With the new system in place, only up to 4,000 climbers will be allowed to enter the trail each day for a hiking fee of 2,000 yen ($20), with an option to donate an additional 1,000 yen ($9) for conservation during the busy climbing season which started on July 1 and runs through September 10.