Japan
Japan: Fujikawaguchiko town puts up view-blocking barrier amid spike in tourist footfall to capture Mount Fuji
Troubled by jaywalking and the rising number of littering tourists, coupled with complaints from locals, authorities in the Japanese town of Fujikawaguchiko have erected a black net to block the view of the iconic Mount Fuji.
The town has gained immense popularity in recent times on social media platforms like Instagram, with tourists thronging the place to capture glimpses of the picturesque mountain from a point.
“It is regrettable that we had to take such measures,” a local official told CNN last month, when the town’s council decided to block the most popular Fuji views with a 66-foot-long (20-meter) black screen, which was erected on May 21.
The point in question is located at the foot of Mount Fuji.
It is reportedly the starting point of one of the most used trails to reach the mountain.
Locals, including businessmen, have expressed their displeasure over the spike of tourists in the region.
The Ibishi Dental Clinic, which is located close to the photo spot, issued a statement to mention the way patients and employees are facing troubles at the hands of tourists.
“There was a series of nuisance illegal activities such as leaving garbage, trespassing on the premises, smoking, eating in the parking lot or under the roofs of private homes, and trespassing on the rooftop, which often resulted in a call to the police,” said a statement issued by the clinic as quoted by CNN. “It became not uncommon for people to shout insults at us or to throw away their cigarettes while they were still lit when we asked them to move their cars.”
The statement added that the photo spot “attracts a constant stream of foreigners from early morning to late at night, and even local residents are unable to communicate with them when they caution them in Japanese”.
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