Mt Fuji no more: Town puts up screen to stop crowds of selfie-seeking tourists

The town of Fujikawaguchiko put up a barrier because tourists were crowding into the area to take photos of Mt Fuji. Photo / AP

Sorry, the screen is now up — no more snapping cute photos of Mt Fuji from a popular pavement spot in the Japanese town of Fujikawaguchiko.

Known as a place that offers some of the best views of the iconic Japanese mountain, the town last month started putting up a large black screen on a stretch of a street to block the view and deter tourists from overcrowding the place.

A particularly popular photo location was outside a Lawson convenience store, from where a photograph taken at a particular angle would make it seem as if Mt Fuji were sitting atop the store roof.

The tourists, mostly foreigners, even dubbed the spot “Mt Fuji Lawson”.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by SAKAUE YUU (@yu.photo.0203)

But the townspeople were unhappy — visitors would block the narrow pavement, take photos on the busy road or walk into neighbours’ properties in pursuit of their shot, officials said.

On Tuesday, construction of the 2.5m-high black mesh net — stretching for 20m along the pavement — was completed.

Workers set up a huge black screen on a stretch of footpath in Fujikawaguchiko, Japan, on Tuesday. Photo / AP

Still, there are other places tourists can find their sweet photo spot.

This week, Yamanashi prefecture, also home to the Yoshida Trail — the most popular of the four routes to summit the 3776m-high mountain — introduced a booking system for this year’s Fuji climbing season to ease overcrowding, littering and safety risks.

Under the new plan, only up to 4000 climbers will be allowed to enter the trail daily for a hiking fee of ¥2000 (about $30), with an option of donating a further ¥1000 yen for conservation during the climbing season, which starts on July 1 and runs until September 10.

Only those with reservation for an overnight stay at huts along the trail are allowed to hike beyond the fifth of the 10 stations between 4pm and 3am, a measure to stop “bullet climbing”, or rushing to the summit without adequate rest that officials say puts lives at risk.

Designated a Unesco World Cultural Heritage site in 2013, Mt Fuji used to be a place of pilgrimage.

Those climbing Japan’s highest peak, Mt Fuji, will now have to book ahead and pay a fee as the picturesque stratovolcano struggles with overtourism. Photo / AP

Today, it’s popular among hikers who climb the summit to watch the sunrise. But tons of trash left behind, including plastic bottles, food and even clothes, have become a major concern.

Overtourism has become a growing issue at other popular tourist destinations such as Kyoto and Kamakura.

Last year, Japan had more than 25 million visitors, and the figures this year are expected to surpass nearly 32 million, a record from 2019, according to the Japan National Tourism Organisation.