They litter. They dash across the road in busy traffic. They trespass on private property. Tourists are a big problem for the Japanese town of Fujikawaguchiko.
The town offers near-perfect views of the famous Mount Fuji. But too many people flock with their cameras to one section of sidewalk. So local officials decided to build a black mesh net to block views of the majestic scenery. The net is 8.2 feet high and 65.6 feet long. It will be complete in mid-May.
The neighborhood suddenly became a popular spot about two years ago. A photo taken at a particular angle shows Mount Fuji appearing to sit atop a local Lawson convenience store. Town officials say it became a social media sensation known as “Mt. Fuji Lawson.”
“[Fujikawaguchiko] 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 Michie Motomochi. She owns a cafe that serves Japanese sweet rice balls (called ohagi) near the popular spot.
About 80% of her customers are foreign visitors. Their numbers surged after a pandemic hiatus that kept Japan closed for about two years.
Last year, Japan had more than 25 million visitors. This year’s count is expected to surpass 32 million. That will break the record from 2019, according to the Japan National Tourism Organization. While the boom has helped the tourism industry, it has also triggered complaints from residents in popular tourist destinations.
Some criticize the screen as an overreaction. But the town has tried other methods to restrain tourists. Signs in English, Chinese, Thai, and Korean urge visitors not to run into the road and to use the designated crosswalk. The town even hired a security guard for crowd control. Nothing worked.
Yoshihiko Ogawa runs a more than half-century-old rice shop in the Fujikawaguchiko area. He says the overcrowding worsened in the past few months. Tourists start gathering around 4:00 to 5:00 a.m. and talk loudly. He sometimes struggles to get his car in and out of his garage.
“We’ve never thought we’d face a situation like this,” Ogawa says. He is unsure what the solution might be. “I suppose we all just need to get used to it.”
So whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets. — Matthew 7:12
