Source: AFP
A Japanese city installed a large mesh at a popular Mount Fuji viewpoint on Tuesday in an attempt to prevent an ever-increasing number of tourists from taking photos.
Japan’s most famous landmark can be seen for miles around, but the locals of Fujikawaguchiko are fed up with streams of mostly foreign visitors who sweep, swerve and break traffic rules in their hunt for a photo to share on social media.
Parking illegally and ignoring the smoking ban, they squeezed onto a sidewalk to shoot the snow-capped mountain, which soars photogenically into the sky behind a convenience store, residents said.
Workers began installing the 2.5-by-20-meter (eight-by-65-foot) black net on Tuesday and by late morning had already finished, an AFP reporter at the scene said.
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“I hope the net will prevent dangerous activities,” resident Michie Motomochi, 41, who runs a traditional Japanese sweet shop, told AFP.
“I think it’s disappointing that they put it up. It’s obviously an iconic shot,” said Christina Roys, 36, a tourist from New Zealand.
“But it’s totally understandable. We were here last night, managing to get the last shot before they put up the wall, and there were so many people,” he said.
“It’s quite dangerous because of the traffic. There are other places where you can see the mountain.”
Online reservations
Record numbers of foreign tourists are coming to Japan, with monthly visitors surpassing three million for the first time in March and then again in April.
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But as in other tourist hotspots such as Venice — which recently began a trial of entrance fees for day visitors — the influx has not been universally welcomed.
Source: AFP
In Japan’s ancient capital, Kyoto, locals have complained about tourists harassing the city’s famous geisha.
And hikers using the most popular route to climb Mount Fuji this summer will be charged 2,000 yen ($13) each, with entries limited to 4,000 to ease congestion.
A new online reservation system for the mountain’s Yoshida Trail opened Monday to guarantee hikers entry through a new gate, although 1,000 spots per day will be reserved for entry day.
Mount Fuji is covered in snow most of the year, but during the July-September hiking season, more than 220,000 visitors climb its steep, rocky slopes.
Many climb all night to see the sunrise, and some attempt to reach the 3,776-meter (12,388-foot) summit without breaks, becoming ill or injured as a result.
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Regional officials have raised safety and environmental concerns linked to overcrowding at the active volcano, a symbol of Japan and once a peaceful pilgrimage site.
Residents near other popular photo spots in the area, including Fuji’s so-called Bridge of Dreams, have reportedly complained of over-tourism in recent weeks.
A tour operator offering day trips from Tokyo to the Mount Fuji area told AFP that they take visitors to another Lawson store nearby, where they can see similar views, but there are fewer residents nearby.
Source: AFP