No more 'selfies' with Mount Fuji: a Japanese city installs a huge black screen to deter tourists

 

European destinations have taken similar measures to combat overtourism.

A town in Japan is so fed up with tourists that it has built a huge fence that prevents them from seeing the attraction they are looking for: the famous Mount Fuji .

The fence, 20 meters long and 2.5 meters high , is covered with black mesh netting , which is not the most conducive backdrop for the selfies that visitors take on social media.

Fujikawaguchiko is known for offering some of the best views of the iconic Japanese mountain. But locals are tired of tourists blocking sidewalks and stopping traffic to get the perfect photo.

Tourists take photos of Mount Fuji

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A particularly popular photo spot was outside a Lawson store, where a photo taken at a particular angle would make it look like Mount Fuji was sitting on the roof of the store. Tourists , mostly foreigners, even named the place ' Mount Fuji Lawson'.

"Kawaguchiko is a city built on tourism, and I welcome a lot of visitors, and the city welcomes them too, but there are many things about their manners that are worrying," says Michie Motomochi, owner of a cafe that serves Japanese sweets near the photo location.

Motomochi mentions littering, crossing the road in heavy traffic, ignoring traffic lights, and trespassing on private property

They install the panel to block the views

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Where else can tourists photograph Mount Fuji?

Still, there are other places where tourists can find their ideal photo spot. Yamanashi Prefecture, also home to the Yoshida Trail - the most popular of the four summit routes on the 3,776-meter-high Mt. - introduced a reservation system ahead of this year's Fuji climbing season to alleviate crowding, mess and safety hazards.

Under the new plan, only a maximum of 4,000 climbers per day will be allowed onto the trail for a fee of 2,000 yen (about 18 euros) , with the option to donate another 1,000 yen (about 9 euros) for conservation during the climbing season, which begins on July 1 and lasts until September 10.

Mount Fuji, declared a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage Site in 2013, used to be a pilgrimage site. Today it is popular with hikers who climb to the top to watch the sunrise. But the tons of trash they leave behind, including plastic bottles, food and even clothes, have become a major concern.

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