Mount Fuji convenience store becomes 'lawless zone' as tourists hurl abuse at security guards

Imagine going to Japan, with all the millions of vistas to photograph, and going out of your way to replicate an influencer-inspired photo of a convenience store with Fuji in the background.

These people are dumb. Yep - its as simple as that.

At this pace, what it may happen is that the familymart closes (chages of place) and they build something in there and the view is lost forever

Remove the security guards! Just like the blackout screens were removed. Get them out of there!

They walk among us. Just drove through Meiji Jingu Gaien this morning and I was very relieved I was the 3rd car passing through after the lights turned green, the first 2 cars were honking viciously, that's when I saw some 5, 7 people all unknown to each other standing in the middle of the road as if its no big deal, not even approaching cars were enough for them to get the hell out of the way, my gingko picture first. They all looked like they come from the same country.

The black screen was such a poor idea.

Just put up a wind proof screen on the flat roof of the convenience store itself to block the view of Fujisan behind the store.

Job done.

People will no longer want to take pictures from there.

It might be time to place a permanent riot squad there on site 24 hours a day as some have suggested. Arrests and incarceration would be the following procedures.

The Era of the Entitled Moron continues.

@finally rich,

was there a few days back, not driving but walking and saw a bunch of tourists seriously laying down and jumping up and down in front of ginko trees taking pictures. Why are they lying down on the ground..?

It might be time to place a permanent riot squad there on site 24 hours a day as some have suggested. Arrests and incarceration would be the following procedures.

No need. Believe it or not there is kouban right next to this Lawson. What are they doing??

https://maps.app.goo.gl/vnCpGnn6bBciML716

no Japanese or Non-japanese Asian/foreigner will yell back the simple phrases like “I’m Japanese,” or “Idiot, die, go away” to security guards.

This happens pretty much anywhere else in the world, it almost makes you wonder if the Chinese actually memorize cursing words before going visit a country.

"Idiot" "go away" and "die" are all monosyllabic words in mandarin that can be written with a single kanji, they are used everyday in China.

The guard then told him that if he was Japanese, he should cross the street properly — in Japan it’s commonplace to always use crosswalks and refrain from jaywalking or going against pedestrian signals

Yeah, sure buddy, in your dreams at best! :D Or maybe come to Tokyo, or even to Kawasaki and you will learn the true Japanese manners! Haha

Jaywalking is illegal. If it’s becoming antagonistic, maybe it’s time for the local police to visit occasionally and enforce the law.

Why aren't police officers being sent out to crackdown on them? They are simply violating the traffic laws, aren't they?

Just hire a couple of guys like the roadwork crews use to stop and start traffic with their batons and whistles. Every few minutes they could stop traffic briefly to let tourists safely cross over.

what about a bit of a business solution. Set up a line of screens showing the shot with with a download facility, 100yen?? in a parking lot 2-3km down the road. or set up a permanent webcam, that livestreams??

dunno

This all seems totally barmy.

If littering in the problem, supply a bin, if it's people getting in the way of traffic, that's their problem... this whole thing just seems to have been blown out of all proportion.

First step should be to ensure no bus trip is visiting this site or stopping conveniently near and telling customers to go there. There were at least two earlier this year. Give them a "cease and desist" and threaten them with cancelling their business license.

Wherever they are from, it should be understood that they are trouble and not welcome at this spot. It is incorrect/unfair to claim, as many have done, that it is this spot's fault for failing to accommodate what is then claimed to be a reasonable amount of reasonably behaved tourists. The same goes for people walking in the middle of the road at that flyover in the same town.

 when the guard used English to stop someone from running out onto the street, they angrily told him, “I’m Japanese!” The guard then told him that if he was Japanese, he should cross the street properly — in Japan it’s commonplace to always use crosswalks and refrain from jaywalking or going against pedestrian signals — to which the person told him to use honorific language when addressing him.

This is the most callous and ignorant remark I have ever read on JT.

First, a lot of those picture 'tards are Japanese so they might be right calling on the rude guard, secondly, definitely the Japanese are NOT the one to be given example on how to cross the street "properly".

As a gaijin that lived here for more than 20+ years, I can confirm right away, that everybody is crossing the street whatever, not only on crossing ways, but worst, they cross the street very entitled, and expect the cars to stop for them, or not run them over, because they have priority either way.

And truth be told, even the Japanese Law takes their side in case you him them on the street on any place. They will never be found 100% responsabile, by "Law" .

They could put one of those pedestrian bridges where you climb the stairs and cross above the roadway. Tourists could cross safely and no need to stop traffic.

There are two pedestrian crossings either end of the Lawson. One requires a button to be pressed to stop the traffic, which most tourists don't notice and therefore have to wait forever until someone does. The one on the other side is a regular odanhodo, i.e. the chances of two vehicles being courteous enough to stop at the same time is slim.

The problem is a mixture of impatient tourists and crap drivers.

They could possibly make the entire length of the road in front of Lawson a pedestrian crossing, or paint one of those boxes on the road like they have outside fire & police stations.

But let's be honest, the local drivers will just ignore those like they do the normal ones.

They could put one of those pedestrian bridges where you climb the stairs and cross above the roadway. Tourists could cross safely and no need to stop traffic.

Not a bad idea, but it's a very tight road and those bridges need a bit of room to work in.

Also its 40 seconds via the bridge or 5 seconds running across the road.

Clearly cops need to step in. Throw these moron tourist in jail

DanteKHToday  06:28 pm JST

 when the guard used English to stop someone from running out onto the street, they angrily told him, “I’m Japanese!” The guard then told him that if he was Japanese, he should cross the street properly — in Japan it’s commonplace to always use crosswalks and refrain from jaywalking or going against pedestrian signals — to which the person told him to use honorific language when addressing him.

This is the most callous and ignorant remark I have ever read on JT.

First, a lot of those picture 'tards are Japanese so they might be right calling on the rude guard, secondly, definitely the Japanese are NOT the one to be given example on how to cross the street "properly".

As a gaijin that lived here for more than 20+ years, I can confirm right away, that everybody is crossing the street whatever, not only on crossing ways, but worst, they cross the street very entitled, and expect the cars to stop for them, or not run them over, because they have priority either way.

And truth be told, even the Japanese Law takes their side in case you him them on the street on any place. They will never be found 100% responsabile, by "Law" .

It's called ethnocentrism, and as you and I and all the non-Japanese people know, it is sadly rife in Japan

Underpaid security staff are rarely innocent and probably are not the most polite. P installing a light seems to be a solution but no one there is thinking

If the authorities are so hell bent on stopping tourist from going there and taking photographs then they can simply ask the transportation companies to stop taking tourist there. Most of these tourist go there in hired buses and that can easily be stopped. But in reality the government knows that this is a small issue and its just the locals there who are making it a big issue! If it was that big of an issue then surely by now police would have been given the directive to close off the area!

I don't know why they don't capitalise on it. Build a platform for tourists to take photos from. Don't fight it, use it!

The tourists are pretty dumb and selfish. Regular people aren't feeling the benefits of tourism. Let's cap the number allowed into the country. Please stay away from those who want peace and an open seat on trains.

when the guard used English to stop someone from running out onto the street, they angrily told him, “I’m Japanese!” The guard then told him that if he was Japanese, he should cross the street properly — in Japan it’s commonplace to always use crosswalks and refrain from jaywalking or going against pedestrian signals — to which the person told him to use honorific language when addressing him.

Again with the mantra that Japanese are better in habits than others?

Maybe this guy should come here in Osaka and see how irresponsible are many local pedestrians and vehicles ignoring traffic signals.

Build a platform for tourists to take photos from.

Idiotic. What problems detailed above would that solve?

If the authorities are so hell bent on stopping tourist from going there and taking photographs then they can simply ask the transportation companies to stop taking tourist there.

And if the transportation companies 'simply' refuse?

Most of these tourist go there in hired buses and that can easily be stopped.

They don't. There is a station 100m down the street. The vast majority come by highway bus or train.

If it was that big of an issue then surely by now police would have been given the directive to close off the area!

Close off the entire centre of the town to everyone? This isn't China or Russia you know.

Armed guards and razor wire. Drones to monitor the situation 24/7. If it doesn't improve, a machine gun emplacement. For those who transgress, 100 lines: 'I was drunk and remember nothing'.

It always amazes me how a country that often has such crowds as part of day to day life, has such thin pavements, and in many places, just a line painted near the edge of the road.

If not following the law, fine people. Problem solved.

If you wish some business, think of a lasting solution. It is not rocket science.

The one with black screen was totally silly by the way.

Wkth only the photo, I would suggest to build 2m high wall on both sides of the road, and keep one crosswalk available with ao/aka signal to cross or not.

Put a large red warning sign saying people would be fined if crossing at red. And fine those crossing at red. Government needs money.

the problem with stupid people is that they don’t know that they’re stupid.

Same kind of thing happening down here in Okinawa. Rude tourists from "certain" countries, and just ruining things with the locals.

Same kind of thing happening down here in Okinawa. Rude tourists from "certain" countries, and just ruining things with the locals.

SOFA surfers?

Sounds like tourists are behaving badly and no excuse for that. But...when you have something this many people want, find a way to make it work for both sides of the situation. This town needs to find a way to capitalize on the interest, while keeping locals happy.

Unfortunately foreigners don’t know how to behave in Japan. Japan is a very safe and responsible country. That foreign visitor claiming to be Japanese was probably very embarrassed when the security guard responded to him about Japanese cultural norms and he didn’t know about it. All of these visitors are trying to be social influencers.

"These security guards have been employed by the town to oversee the site and stop people from jaywalking and running out into traffic, which is a safety issue as large vehicles often pass through the narrow, two-way street. Although the guards are on hand to help keep people safe, visitors appear to have little regard for them, with one saying he’s been yelled at by foreigners using broken Japanese, with words that translate as “idiot,” “die” and “go away.”"

Well, obviously their moronic ploy worked!

"The language hurdle adds to the stress, because on one occasion, when the guard used English to stop someone from running out onto the street, they angrily told him, “I’m Japanese!” The guard then told him that if he was Japanese, he should cross the street properly — in Japan it’s commonplace to always use crosswalks and refrain from jaywalking or going against pedestrian signals — to which the person told him to use honorific language when addressing him."

ZING! I LOVE how the guy shot back and told the guard to use the honorific like a proper Japanese, you know, since the guy so snidely assumed he was not Japanese because all Japanese behave one way and foreigners another and all that. I mean, you almost can't come up with a more perfect example of generalization and hypocrisy, with the guard even telling a JAPANESE how Japanese behave when the guy was not at all behaving that way as a Japanese person! hahaha. Perfect! And as for being commonplace for Japanese to refrain from jaywalking -- HOGWASH! It's as common for people to jaywalk here as it is for drivers to ignore you when gonig to cross a "zebra crossing" crosswalk. In fact, Japan is the only nation that doesn't punish people for not stopping when someone is about to cross the road legally and speeds through the pedestrian area and through red lights.

in Japan it’s commonplace to always use crosswalks.

Not in Kansai. We cross wherever. I don't know about Tokyo or elsewhere.