Local leaders in one Japanese town are erecting barriers to block the view of Mt. Fuji to prevent troubling-making tourists from flocking to the community.
Photos of the mountain town of Fujikawaguchiko, located in the foothills of Mt. Fuji, have become popular on social media. Crowds of tourists vye for a shot of the soaring volcano, which is partially concealed behind a small convenience store, which visitor also like to snap.
Mt. Fuji is an active volcano and the tallest mountain in Japan. The symmetrical mountain is known for its natural beauty and abundance of hiking trails.
The juxtaposition of the Lawson convenience store — a ubiquitous national chain — and the iconic volcano is viewed by some as a quintessentially Japanese image, one local official explained to Agence France Presse.
But foreign tourists have begun blocking the pavement near the convenience store, while also parking illegally and littering. Some tourists have even taken to climbing onto a nearby dentist's office roof, without permission, to get a better camera angle, according to reports
Fujikawaguchiko previously put up signs reminding visitors of the rules, to no avail. The town is now planning to erect an eight-foot-high mesh barrier as early as next week that will remain up until the situation imporves.
"It's regrettable we have to do this, because of some tourists who can't respect rules," the official told AFP.
