In Japan, a city will hide the view of Mount Fuji to avoid excessive tourism

A small Japanese town near Mount Fuji has decided to erect a fence to stop the flow of foreign tourists to a popular place for photographing the famous volcano. The city of Fujikawaguchiko plans to begin construction of a mesh network 2.5 meters high and 20 meters long next week.

“It is unfortunate that we have to do this because some tourists do not follow the rules.”A city official explained to AFP on Friday, April 26. The latter particularly complained about waste left by tourists or even violations of the Highway Code.

This is the latest radical decision taken in Japan to combat the effects of overtourism, following a ban on taking photos in the Geisha area in Kyoto (west), or limited paid access to Mount Fuji from the summer of 2024.

More than three million foreign visitors entered Japan in March, a record number for the country that has long been closed to international tourism during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Tax 5 euros in Venice

Mount Fuji, the highest peak in Japan (3,776 metres), can be photographed from many places, in Fujikawaguchiko or elsewhere. But the obstructed view is particularly sought after by some tourists because it appears in the background behind Lawson's Supermarket, a chain that is ubiquitous on the archipelago. Because of this visual juxtaposition, “This place, which is very Japanese, has spread on social media, making it a popular photography location.”An official in the city interviewed by Agence France-Presse, who requested anonymity, explained.

After the failure of prevention campaigns, with banners and even security personnel, the municipality decided to use the main means. This decision also aims to protect a neighboring dental clinic, whose parking lot was broken into, and even found tourists on its roof, where they went up to take pictures, according to the city official, who explained that the measure will continue until the situation worsens. It gets better.

The problem of overtourism and its damage to the environment led the Italian city of Venice, on April 25, to launch a €5 entry ticket for day tourists. These tickets, which are in the form of QR codes sold online or on site, must be presented to controllers specially stationed in the square in front of Santa Lucia Station, the main entrance to the Doge. However, at this point, the experiment remains limited in scope: for 2024, only twenty-nine days will be affected by this new tax, which will apply approximately every weekend from May to July.