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To fend off tourists, town starts building big screen blocking view of Mount Fuji

76 Comments
By AYAKA MCGILL and MARI YAMAGUCHI

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76 Comments
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Hilarious. Some are even taking photos when Fuji-san is shrouded in cloud (as it often is).

-5 ( +18 / -23 )

Motomochi mentioned littering, crossing the road with busy traffic, ignoring traffic lights, trespassing into private properties. She isn't unhappy though — 80% of her customers are foreign visitors whose numbers have surged after a pandemic hiatus that kept Japan closed for about two years.

As long as the revenue is rising they will put up with the "rude"tourists.

I wonder if Motomichi-san is passing on the tourist bonanza to her busy cafe workers or still paying them minimum wages?

10 ( +19 / -9 )

Stop issuing tourist visas and remove the visa waivers then. Oh but you still want their cash though!

Make a decision.

-15 ( +14 / -29 )

Picture of a convenience store and clouds. Funny. Even when clouds are gone, picture of a convenience store is still silly to me, irrespective whether it's a historically featured shot. Media attention like this will only increase the numbers going there.

6 ( +7 / -1 )

The government has encouraged tourists into Japan but hasn’t thought of the repercussions

Local governments just deny and prevent tourists their right to travel and take photos instead of monetizing this massive source of income.

It is a typical response prevalent in Japan

-6 ( +15 / -21 )

… has had enough of tourists.

Oddly, I have noticed more semi-aggressive behavior directed towards me by Japanese. I do not physically appear to be Japanese, and I’ve recently noticed receiving more pushes and bumps that could certainly be avoided. Several times over the past week, I’ve had Japanese men sit next to me on the train and start intensely pressing their shoulders against me. “Again?” I’ve thought. “What’s up with this?”

But I can understand the frustration of the Japanese. As a long-term resident, I feel it too. So many places have become far overcrowded with poor-mannered foreign tourists.

-2 ( +15 / -17 )

Tourists must learn to behave in Japan..

Their country..

Their rules..

-18 ( +10 / -28 )

Please don't label all tourists as ill mannered. My wife and I have been there 3 times on extended trips. We don't throw rubbish, talk loud, disrespect people, push in, not follow rules on trains and at tourist destinations. We do our best to blend in and be respectful to your ways, like we do with all countries we visit.

21 ( +23 / -2 )

I could think of some other alternatives.

Re route traffic and make the area pedestrian only...like the "walking street " in many Asian cities.

In my local area, a nice spot by a river had the view ruined by a large "dont litter " sign.

Some Japanese decision makers are stuck in the 70's.

16 ( +20 / -4 )

How SAD, some of us just can't handle being Welcoming, Humble, and open minded.

The hospitality of this town should be posted online as well, and I hope that tourists will continue to come and take photos of the fence and show the world what this town has done.

If France, Italy, China, NY city, LA city, Hollywood , Tokyo City , Kyoto City and many Many more tourists spots start doing the same how would the rest of us feel??

-6 ( +6 / -12 )

If the tourists are rude and causing a lot of trouble, close the area off.

-6 ( +3 / -9 )

No need to be defensive, Ed. It doesn't matter what you do in reality, you will be tarred with the same brush.

0 ( +10 / -10 )

They should have sold the space for advertising. Then used the money to beef up security and safety personnel.

-5 ( +2 / -7 )

Ridiculously adversarial, completely unimaginative solution.

Litter? No rubbish bins, so what does anyone expect? Doesn't the Lawson have rubbish bins?

GuruMick has a good idea: make the area a pedestrian zone by re-routing traffic. Would that be possible? If so, do that.

If not, add a pedestrian overpass.

BTW, where are the foreigners in the photo. Appears to be all Asians.

WoodyLee probably behaves just as most of us do who live in Japan.

-9 ( +6 / -15 )

I think it's about time to declare kinkyujiaisengen...

-10 ( +0 / -10 )

P.S. Since this hamlet with an overly long name insists on raising a giant black screen, why not paint it with the Fuji-san view they are blocking? Least they could do... :-)

-4 ( +4 / -8 )

How about a little creativity during your trip to Japan, folks? There are thousands of interesting things to in this country that aren't just repeats of what you see on social media.

4 ( +5 / -1 )

Yoshihiko Ogawa, who runs a more than half-century-old rice shop in the Fujikawaguchiko area, said the overcrowding worsened in the past few months, with tourists gathering from around 4-5 a.m. and talking loudly. He sometimes struggles to get his car in and out of garage.

“We’ve never thought we'd face a situation like this,” Ogawa said, adding he is unsure what the solution might be. “I suppose we all just need to get use to it.”

It is easy to "get used to it" and just cluck with disapproval at the uncouth foreign wad when you are directly profiting from the weak yen, tourist economy and LDP/BOJ policies.

But what about the people who work at these shops and who actually have to deal with tourists on a daily basis for a minimum, non-living poverty wage?

2 ( +2 / -0 )

Good. Sadly, these zombie tourists will shift en masse to somewhere similar without a screen, and cause the same shocking issues with litter, road danger and noise pollution.

So many tourists just want the exact replica shots that they've seen on social media. Zero imagination, no creativity- just follow like sheep. Most would never have heard of the old idiom : "To go off the beaten track".

-2 ( +5 / -7 )

BTW, where are the foreigners in the photo. Appears to be all Asians.

You do understand that the majority of foreign tourists in Japan ARE Asians? Right? You do realize that Asians can be foreigners?

10 ( +16 / -6 )

Fascinating, already the 2nd article about the subject but still most of the posters do not bother even looking into the subject (like the video shared several times in the previous article), not even in the pictures enclosed with the article.

People will still be able to take their proof of conformism Lawson in front of you-can--not-see-it-because-it-was-cloudy-or-not mount Fuji picture. They will just have to use the Lawson side of the street instead of running in the middle of a busy street and putting themselves in the way of any people trying to live their daily life. After, how will the Lawson react, as tourists could prove a pain to their customers and staff, is to be seen. We are talking about people which will go to a place where work construction is done with barrier and so in order to take a picture ignoring the security staff. Get real. Everybody can proove themselves a stupid selfcentred f., so sometimes this kind of reminder can help us kept ourselves in check.

BTW, where are the foreigners in the photo. Appears to be all Asians.

I think some people should perhaps consider reviewing the definition of xenophobia.

@Ed,

Relax, even if one can easily label at sight, most are well aware that only a fraction are real pain. So by acting as you do, the people around will quickly remember that fact and be pleased to have you as a visitor/customer/...

3 ( +6 / -3 )

The municipalities with heavy tourism might want to invest in multilingual signage, posters, announcements, brochures, etc that explain the rules of behavior. An increased police/security/guide presence would help, as well.

And, the municipal and prefectural governments should be working with the travel agencies, both domestic and the popular foreign and online agencies, to educate tourists before they even arrive.

All of this tourism is providing tax benefits, some of which should be used for these measures that can improve the experience for both the residents and tourists.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

Watched and listened to the debate on news station last night.

I was surprised at how many people were flocking there and standing around and spilling over onto the road space.

And outside the neighboring dental clinic, it looked like a packed line-up for Black Friday.

And yes the dumped rubbish.

It's tough for ordinary locals just going about their routine life.

Also views of Mt Fuji from other locations - ie down a traditional street with Fuji plumb center in the background - are overloaded with visitors.

For me 2 points stand out.

What on earth fascinates people enough to imagine this scene is worthwhile to even travel to? Yeah - I know all the stuff about a juxtaposition of the ancient with the modern et al, but geeez is the time, effort and money to make that little digital shot/selfie so Wow!!!

And 2ndly - the black mesh screen being erected is less than a band-aid effort and an eyesore and inconvenience for locals as well. Some kind of realistic long term plan involving pedestrian areas, traffic restrictions, garbage receptacles etc should be initiated. Much harder to think of and enact, but sometimes solutions require that.

Bottom line for me is - There is no stopping the stampede of tourism on a whim, so up to locals/businesses to creatively squeeze as much capital out of the flockers as they can - as it won't last forever.

6 ( +7 / -1 )

Its an unfortunate outcome, but probably unavoidable.

I'm quite sympathetic to the locals. A dentist's office across the street from a random suburban convenience store just isn't a place that is capable of handling hordes of tourists descending upon it.

At the same time though, in a country where "nice views" from street level are a rarity its a shame to see one being deliberately wiped out. Hopefully someday the stupid social media fed trends will move on and allow the barrier to be removed without triggering another round of problems for the locals.

10 ( +10 / -0 )

Litter? No rubbish bins, so what does anyone expect?

What does anyone expect? I don't know....tourists to not litter?

Doesn't the Lawson have rubbish bins?

For Lawson customers yeah, but why should they be responsible for cleaning up after a bunch of poorly behaved tourists just because they happen to be nearby?

GuruMick has a good idea: make the area a pedestrian zone by re-routing traffic. Would that be possible? If so, do that.

No, that idea makes zero sense. Streets are things that local people use to get around. The idea that city planning should be based upon catering to a short term trend of social media people taking pictures rather than the needs of the people who actually live there is just obnoxious.

This is Google Street view of the street in question:

https://www.google.com/maps/@35.4988135,138.7672662,3a,75y,168.9h,81.51t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1se3dorZBK-fHb7RqULCA26g!2e0!7i16384!8i8192?entry=ttu

That street is a major local thoroughfare. Many businesses and homes are on it. Buses run on it. The main train station is on it, just a few doors down from the Lawson. Turning that into a pedestrian thoroughfare makes absolutely no sense at all, the street is just completely not suited to it and it would be a massive disruption to everyone who lives there.

If not, add a pedestrian overpass.

This makes no sense. If the tourists aren't using a perfectly good crosswalk which is RIGHT THERE then there is no reason to believe they'd use a pedestrian overpass (even assuming there was room to build one, which there isn't).

3 ( +6 / -3 )

How about just fining the misbehaving tourists instead of punishing everyone? Can levy hefty fine, if needed. But the behaviour would need to be enforced for everyone, not just tourists.

0 ( +4 / -4 )

…and in a few months we’ll be reading about how all the little cafes and stores are closing because the foreigners don’t visit anymore.

0 ( +11 / -11 )

…and in a few months we’ll be reading about how all the little cafes and stores are closing because the foreigners don’t visit anymore.

Japanese people make up 80% of tourists in Japan.

-3 ( +5 / -8 )

Japanese people with a view of Mount Fuji are always proud of it. I bet this dentists was too until hundreds of people starting turned up every day. That will get very tiresome very quickly indeed.

The photos above make it look like they are building the screen across the road from the convenience store, so the same photo as before will be available, just from the convenience store itself. With a wider angle lens, you can take the same photo.

My suggestion would have been to build a frame with scaffolding pipe (cheap!) on top of the convenience store and fit solar panels. If you destroy the view, troublemakers will stop coming. In parallel with this, you make a visitor center somewhere else with a nice view, lay on lots of buses, and basically say "go here sheeple".

3 ( +5 / -2 )

GuruMick has a good idea: make the area a pedestrian zone by re-routing traffic. Would that be possible? If so, do that.

No - Guru Mick has a bad idea. Why punish the locals - forcing them to divert out of their way (and pay through the nose for it) just because of immature and selfish tourists who are troublemakers?

-4 ( +4 / -8 )

This pretty dumb. They should be looking at these tourists as a money spinning opportunity.

5 ( +8 / -3 )

I sincerely hope that tourists (both foreign and Japanese alike), don't use this screen to superimpose their own different versions of Mt Fuji or other such hilarious pictures using photo shop and this becoming an even bigger tourist attraction and instagramable, 'must do' scenario.

Or do I?

2 ( +4 / -2 )

OK, so changing the traffic lanes to pedestrian is not possible. Pedestrian overpasses are too much trouble for visitors to use.

At the very least, the city should provide rubbish bins as they are clearly needed! Lawson's would not have to field all their trash that way. Obvious solution.

My bad! I was thinking "foreign tourists" meant non-Asians, including non-Japanese".

0 ( +4 / -4 )

Clearly, those downplaying or ridiculing the concerns of the residents and business owners of the area - by the way, Fujikawaguchiko is a town, not hamlet, P.Y.- do not live there or in a community similarly overrun by disrespectful, disruptive tourists.

2 ( +6 / -4 )

OK, so changing the traffic lanes to pedestrian is not possible. Pedestrian overpasses are too much trouble for visitors to use.

At the very least, the city should provide rubbish bins as they are clearly needed! Lawson's would not have to field all their trash that way. Obvious solution.

My bad! I was thinking "foreign tourists" meant non-Asians, including non-Japanese".

There is a reason why there aren't trash cans in most places in Japan. But the solution revolves around tourists being decent human beings and learning to clean up after themselves. An increased fine for littering and having more security cameras seems like the best solution in my opinion. But whether the mountain is visible, half visible or not visible people would still take pictures.

-1 ( +3 / -4 )

I drove past it today, the rotten weather is keeping people away.

When the sun shines, people will just use tripods or selfie sticks to poke over the screen. Some will probably just walk around it and take pics from in the road.

8 ( +9 / -1 )

Pathetic

-7 ( +3 / -10 )

Is it mostly the Asian tourists doing this? I don't see any non-Asians in any of the photos online, and it doesn't seem like a Western tourist thing to do.

-5 ( +3 / -8 )

Never been there, and now never will, solely based on this pathetic mind set, I will however, return to Isawa Onsen Station area.

-4 ( +1 / -5 )

Is it mostly the Asian tourists doing this? I don't see any non-Asians in any of the photos online, and it doesn't seem like a Western tourist thing to do.

Yes, mostly, although most tourists here are Asian. Plenty of westerners go there too.

Plenty of my customers request a stop their at the start / end of their tour. Some of them just want to see the tourists taking pictures.

Pictures of many people taking pictures of a conbini is the new hot snap.

5 ( +5 / -0 )

Typical way of thinking: one solution for various problems. This wall ruins the view for tourists who behave.

Try this. Have several police officers standing in the area. When a tourist jay walks or litters or other thing, just fine them on the spot. Same as no smoking ordinance in many Japanese cities with 2,000 yen fine.

0 ( +2 / -2 )

Ken,

What is the reason for no trash cans? Please tell us.

OK, so Futa-long name is a town. My observation is that the smaller the place the longer the name. No disrespect intended.

-3 ( +2 / -5 )

Try this. Have several police officers standing in the area. When a tourist jay walks or litters or other thing, just fine them on the spot. Same as no smoking ordinance in many Japanese cities with 2,000 yen fine.

Yeah nah, police have better stuff to do than get paid to babysit tourists

@Patricia Yarrow Google the 1995 Sarin Gas domestic terror attack

1 ( +4 / -3 )

Try this. Have several police officers standing in the area. When a tourist jay walks or litters or other thing, just fine them on the spot. Same as no smoking ordinance in many Japanese cities with 2,000 yen fine.

For a town that small "several police officers" is about all they have for the entire town. It would be extremely wasteful to have to devote all of their police manpower to dealing solely with this one idiotic problem.

2 ( +3 / -1 )

Good just built it fast.

Tourist consist mostly of people who do not care about others. Just to get the perfect short with a small camera sensor.

-7 ( +0 / -7 )

When these tourist no longer go to that local spot then the businesses around there will start to collapse and they’ll blame the tourists not going there! Many of these areas become a ghost town and people move away from there leaving empty abandoned properties behind which turn it into an eyesore! Instead of blaming the tourist for everything ( and instead of constructing that eyesore black mesh net ), the local authorities in that area should make effort to deal with tourist through much more efficient ways through higher penalties of rowdy tourist, designating / designing some proper photo taking spots, building some police Kobans around there to enforce rules more effectively! The town will surely collapse without the tourist going there as businesses such as restaurants, cafes and convenience stores ( heck even the vending machines ) will all close down!

-2 ( +3 / -5 )

I understand why residents and businesses don't want the tourists there. People circling your residence or business constantly would be suffocating. I do get why tourists want a picture there. Mt Fuji and Lawson are both so iconic to Japan. Both of them together in a photo just embodies Japan in a snapshot. Too bad it went viral and too many tourists ruined a cool spot. Too many people ruin a lot of things.

4 ( +4 / -0 )

I mean, it's fine. It's not like a special place anyway. It's Lawson. There's no real loss here except the wannabe influencers won't be able to say "if you come to Japan, this is a must visit blah blah..." anymore.

-1 ( +1 / -2 )

I bet that LAWSON was making a fortune from all of the tourists buying snacks and stuff. Too bad they won't have a reason to go there anymore.

-4 ( +3 / -7 )

@rainyday

police in Japan are prefectural police. So the prefecture could send two or so to help out.

@ken

not all police are assigned to major crimes. Some police direct traffic. Some give tickets to speeders. Some drive around with flashing lights.

0 ( +3 / -3 )

@rainyday

police in Japan are prefectural police. So the prefecture could send two or so to help out.

Not sure how the level at which the police force is organized is relevant. The Yamanashi Prefectural Police currently have only one Koban in Fujikawaguchiko. This is presumably adequate to deal with the police needs of a very small town under normal circumstances. The Prefectural Police certainly have better things to be doing with their limited manpower than depriving other parts of the prefecture of police services solely for the purpose of dealing with stupid tourist problems as you envisage.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

The reason: misbehaving foreign tourists.

Why the need to qualify the word tourists with ‘foreign’? When I saw this on the news this morning, a lot of the people seemed to be domestic. Japan Today, please don’t jump on the xenophobic bandwagon as many of the Japanese media have done.

-4 ( +6 / -10 )

I really doubt it's mainly foreign tourists, especially at that place. I'd guess the reality is that it's 90% Japanese tourists, but you tend to remember what sticks out.

-4 ( +2 / -6 )

Other than saying no and don’t go this and that they actually didn’t make a safe way to take a photo for growing numbers and instead will build an ugly block screen and kill tourists from the area. Excellent what about providing a place safe to take photos and if it’s in the street redirect traffic or make a safe time to take photos where the street can be blocked off for 5 or 10 at a time for Tourist who spent all that time and money to go to the middle of no where. Seems like old very selfish thinking that isn’t actually solving the issue in a welcoming way.

3 ( +5 / -2 )

Ken,

I am very aware of the disappearance of trash cans everywhere due to the excuse of "Sarin gas attacks".

Just a few months ago, the very much needed bins were removed for no good reason from my very crowded train station. Has nothing to do with "Sarin gas attacks". Is the government running out of money for carrying on their civic duty to the tax payers and providing them?

-3 ( +6 / -9 )

So, they're blocking the far-side of the road hoping people won't cross the road because there's no "safe" are to stand on. Clearly, the city is underestimating the persistence of these Instagram sheep being herded around by famous people's Instagram.

1 ( +3 / -2 )

Isn't this is a rehash of yesterday's news?

-3 ( +1 / -4 )

Insane and unhinged overreaction, but hey, this was totally predictable. Anybody who watched how the whole Shibuya Halloween fiasco played out last year should not be surprised.

I'm still trying, looking for my own firsthand accounts of examples of tourists exhibiting unruly behavior. I haven't noticed it at all, really.

Yokohama Chinatown, not far from where I live for example, is crowded and there is garbage everywhere. However, it was also crowded during Covid and I remember seeing tons of garbage back then as well.

Domestic Japanese tourists are nowhere near as saintly and pure as you would be lead to believe by the pick-me types. There is a thing called human nature, and we all succumb to it at times.

It you want to alleviate the garbage problem, then start using public trash bins. Stop endlessly pushing the buck onto someone else. Like seriously, no where else in the world do people do this.

-11 ( +4 / -15 )

Motomochi mentioned littering, crossing the road with busy traffic, ignoring traffic lights

Ah carbrains Japan crying. They cant understand why drivers have stolen all the public space and others from more civilised places view (private car) drivers (especially) as the least important and most wastefull users of subsidised public highway space.

This is Google Street view of the street in question:

https://www.google.com/maps/@35.4988135,138.7672662,3a,75y,168.9h,81.51t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1se3dorZBK-fHb7RqULCA26g!2e0!7i16384!8i8192?entry=ttu

...yeah you can really tell the old car brain planners and police (that get over involved in public realm planning) hate people and only think of cars.

The tourists are never all going to be respecting that mindset.

-2 ( +0 / -2 )

( The town of Fujikawaguchiko in Yamanashi Prefecture has had enough of tourists.

Known for a number of scenic photo spots that offer a near-perfect shot of Japan’s iconic Mount Fuji, the town on Tuesday began constructing a large black screen on a stretch of a sidewalk to block the view of the mountain. The reason: misbehaving foreign tourists. )

Well done, Fujikawaguchiko.

-3 ( +1 / -4 )

30 years ago that Lawson would have begun charging for the car park, got postcards and t-shirts printed and started selling Fujiyama blue and white kakigori. Daiei, with support from the local authority, would've organised a stamp rally and plastered Tokyo's trains with images of the "Fuji-Lawson". And some enterprising soul would have made the dentist and offer he couldn't refuse and repurposed the building as a souvenir shop with a rooftop cafe.

Is Japan's newfound lack of opportunism yet another symptom of the greying populace?

0 ( +4 / -4 )

Watching man-on-the-street interviews on news shows today, I saw that the residents don't like this ridiculous over-reaction. It's a lose-lose. Both the tourists and residents lose.

As usual in Japan, instead of planning reasonably and sensibly when a possible issue is first recognized, the powers that be ignore it until it becomes a real problem. Then, they overreact without thinking things through rationally, often creating new problems.

3 ( +4 / -1 )

Insane and unhinged overreaction, but hey, this was totally predictable.

Theirs, or yours? Calm down man, it's just a screen to stop people dashing in and out of the road.

At some point an accident would have occurred there, and then people like you would complain about how nothing was done to prevent it.

Do you have a solution or just complaints?

2 ( +6 / -4 )

So much for the much-touted omotenashi.

-8 ( +4 / -12 )

Why not put a screen on top of the Lawson instead?

Are those Chinese tourists?

0 ( +2 / -2 )

I have lived in Barcelona and Kyoto and I can say that crowds of clueless tourists blocking traffic and/or ignoring rules is annoying anywhere. I've seen a busy crossroads without a pedestrian crossing being surrounded with concrete roadblocks to stop brainless tourists jaywalking. Well, flocks of people (not locals) were climbing over the roadblocks and running through the traffic anyway.

It's a Japanese way of “solving” a problem and I doubt it will actually work. But jeez do I feel for the locals.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

I know how Yoshihiko Ogawa feels I live near a school and when school lets out parents who don't live in the area are very rude and don't mind blocking your drive way where homeowners can not get in and out of the neighborhood because of the overcrowding of the streets. The parents wait until their kids get out of class play their music very loud and throw everything from food rappers to shitty baby pampers on to the streets after changing their kids. I live about two blocks from the schools and my wife and I never thought we'd face a crowds like this every day school is in. We have to wait until to leave just before school or 30 after school lets out and the invaders are gone. They drive past 5 different schools where they live but they choose to put their kids in schools where we live. Our solution was to get use to it and I think this is the only thing Yoshihiko Ogawa can do.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Japanese don't follow their own rules ALOT ! and neither do tourist that spent money to visit Japan

The whole thing is pathetic

-2 ( +4 / -6 )

Can you imagine Italy or Greece putting up screens to block the views? Madness.

FYI they do the exact same thing in Europe too:

https://www.independent.co.uk/travel/news-and-advice/hallstatt-frozen-austria-fence-selfies-b2341981.html

1 ( +2 / -1 )

That’s ok RainyDay, I don’t go to Europe either

-4 ( +0 / -4 )

I expect foreign tourists will show up soon in large numbers and take pictures of this black mesh net screen, which will be considered as an unique sightseeing spot for Japanese hospitality.

You cannot remove tourists so easily - if there is no Mount Fuji available anymore, they will take pictures of something else.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

I've just walked past the Lawson and I can confirm there's many idiots standing there taking photos. All because of a stupid Instagram video. Lawson must be loving it though. I can almost hear the sheep bleating.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

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