Japan Town Raises a Screen to Hide the Mount Fuji View from Disorderly Tourists

Japanese authorities are constructing a massive black barrier to block views of Mount Fuji from unruly tourists at a famous photo spot, highlighting tensions over overtourism in popular destinations.

Fujikawaguchiko, Japan- Japanese authorities handing tiresome foreign visitors harsh punishment by erecting a giant black mesh barrier to cut the view of the legendary Mount Fuji from the popular photo spot - Fujikawaguchiko.

The barrier, at height of 2.5 meters (8 feet) and 20 meters (66 feet) long will hide the classical Mount Fuji view behind the Lawson convenience store which has gained fame on social media as famous 'Japanese' picture.

"We are sorry that we are forced to take this step because of tourists who can't obey the rules," a representative of the city administration said to AFP, mentioning littering, traffic rules violations and even trespassers climbing onto buildings to take photos.

The severe measure is done on the heels of the huge number of foreign tourists who are traveling to Japan in larger numbers than ever before (over 3 million arrivals in March after the removal of pandemic-related border restrictions).

The net construction on the disputed view-blocking net is planned to begin as early as next week in the resort town situated in Yamanashi region in the vicinity of Mount Fuji. Officials have stated that the restrictions will stay as long as the situation does not get better.

The wall demonstrates rising conflicts on over-tourism problem in many places within Japan. During the first quarter of this year, the residents of the geisha district of Kyoto called for the closing of the narrow private alleys because of their harassment by the ignorant tourists.

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The numbers of tourists visiting the iconic sites such as Mt. Fuji put officials in the situation of choosing between preserving a cultural experiences and promoting tourism's economic effects. Others look at it as a crowd control measure, however others remonstrate it as an admission of failure to properly manage guests.

Japan is experiencing a surge in tourism with no signs of a decline, while the government is actively seeking foreign visitors. The question of how other hot spots will keep up with balancing growth with heritage and public spaces is still something to be answered.