A Japanese town plans to build a barrier to prevent overtourism at the Mount Fuji photo spot

In order to prevent residents from enjoying a popular picture location that attracts hordes of tourists, authorities in a Japanese town are building a 2.5-meter-tall barrier that would obscure the view of Mount Fuji.

The hamlet of Fuji-Kawaguchiko, located around 50 kilometers southwest of Tokyo, is seeing a surge in visitors as they capture images of the convenience store and the gorgeous, sloping slopes of Mount Fuji, two iconic Japanese locations. The picture opportunity has gone viral on social media.

There have been concerns about unlawful parking, traffic dangers, and trash because of the crowds. By the middle of this month, the 20-meter-wide black barrier intended to hide the mountain should be finished. The shutdown is the most recent indication that Japan is dealing with an unheard-of spike in tourists at the same time as the value of the Japanese yen has dropped to a 34-year low.

Travelers find Japan to be an unbeatable deal because of the cheap yen, which is beneficial for the country’s economy. However, the low cost of travel raises issues with residents and worries about “overtourism” in big cities and tourist destinations.

People poured onto the streets on Thursday, congregating and scaling poles for a better look. An employee at the convenience shop once rushed out, yelling at the visitors to get out of the way. “I’ve seen individuals using electronic kickboards without following traffic laws, dashing into the streets, and getting into collisions. Local Haruhito Tsuchiya, 49, stated, “There have been a lot of accidents involving foreign tourists recently.”

For a long time, both domestic and international tourists have flocked to Mount Fuji, a 3,776-meter-tall volcanic peak that the Japanese regard as holy. But during the busy climbing season of last summer, residents and authorities complained of an increase in pollution, accidents, and environmental damage.

Prefectural authorities responded to this by announcing a new climbing charge of 2,000 yen (about Rs 1,076) along with a number of trekking restrictions around Mount Fuji this year. Following the COVID-19 outbreak, which caused many workers to leave the industry, hotels and resorts throughout the nation are finding it difficult to meet demand.