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Japanese Town Of Kawaguchiko To Block Views of Mount Fuji

Perfect view of Mount Fuji from Lake Kawaguchiko
Perfect view of Mount Fuji from Lake Kawaguchiko [Image by Guilhem Vellut on Flickr]
Mount Fuji is one of the most iconic sights in Japan and for years, people have visited the town of Kawaguchiko to capture panoramic images of the mountain. However, like many destinations in the world since the pandemic, Kawaguchiko is suffering from overtourism. While the town does benefit economically from the influx of tourists, the crowds are getting bigger and local officials have had enough. For this reason, the town is planning to build a giant black screen to spoil that picture-perfect view.

Kawaguchiko in Japan draws tourist crowds

Every year, Kawaguchiko sees a huge influx of tourists, all vying for the perfect shot of Mount Fuji and now, town officials have had enough. They now wish to deter the tourist crowds from visiting to take that iconic photo of the mountain. The town is now fighting back against the tourist crowd heading to the northern foothills of the mountain to get the perfect shot to share on Instagram.

This week, Kawaguchiko has begun constructing a large, black screen on a stretch of sidewalk in the town to block that almost-perfect view from misbehaving tourists.

“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,” says cafe owner Michie Motomochi.

Motomochi explained about the tourists littering the town, crossing the road through busy traffic and ignoring traffic lights. Moreover, the tourists often trespass into private properties in their quest for the perfect shot.

Meanwhile, like many business owners in Kawaguchiko, she isn’t unhappy with the attention the town brings. Reportedly some 80 percent of her customers are foreign tourists. Moreover, their numbers have surged since the pandemic, which kept Japan closed off for around two years.

Building a giant screen to block Mount Fuji

View of Mount Fuji
View of Mount Fuji [Image by Loïc Lagarde on Flickr]
Ever since a photo taken of Mount Fuji was posted, it became a social media sensation, leading to huge crowds of tourists wanting to capture the same view. Meanwhile, according to officials, the popularity isn’t slowing down, causing a wave of complaints from locals about tourists blocking narrow pavements. Moreover, they take photos on the busy road, blocking traffic, or entering people’s private properties to capture that picture-perfect view.

Before deciding on the black screen, Kawaguchiko had tried other methods, including signs urging tourists not to run into the road. The signs are in English, Chinese, Thai and Korean, and urge visitors to keep to the designated crosswalk. Moreover, they went so far as to hire a security guard for crowd control, but none of these efforts have worked.

According to authorities, the solution is a large, black mesh net screen, which will be completed around mid-May. Measuring 2.5 m (8 ft) in height and 20 m (66 ft) in length, the screen will almost completely block the view of Mount Fuji.

Will this action really help Kawaguchiko?

Euronews noted that the town of Kawaguchiko attracts dozens of tourists even when Mount Fuji is hidden by cloudy or misty weather. Meanwhile, several tourists visiting the town this week think the idea of the screen is an overreaction. One suggested that the town rather erect road barriers for safety instead of blocking the scenic views.

Meanwhile, Motomochi said she couldn’t imagine how the black screen would control the flow of tourists on the narrow pedestrian sidewalk and the road next to it. Whether the screen will cut down the number of tourists seeking alternative ways to get that perfect photo remains to be seen.

 

 

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