AFP
Japan: start of construction of a net to hide a view of Mount Fuji
A small town in Japan has begun to install a large net on a site famous for the view it offers of Mount Fuji, to hide this panorama from tourists considered too uncivil by local residents. The town of Fujikawaguchiko has undertaken to erect these mesh panels 2.5 meters high and 20 meters long at a location very popular with visitors wishing to photograph the mythical mountain in central Japan. The photographs taken from a narrow sidewalk, behind a busy road, are very popular on social networks. Residents and City authorities complain of numerous incivilities and violations of traffic laws by tourists, who leave litter, smoke outside authorized areas, ignore traffic lights red…According to a resident, some tourists shout when asked to move a badly parked vehicle, others throw their cigarette butts on the ground. The net, whose construction should be completed in mid-May, aims to discourage them from going there. The city’s decision made the headlines in the national and international press. Japan is trying to combat the effects of overtourism, with the recent closure of certain alleys in the geisha district in Kyoto (west), or paid and limited access to Mount Fuji from this summer. More than three million foreign visitors entered Japan in March, an absolute monthly record for the country, which had long been closed to international tourism during the Covid-19 pandemic. Mount Fuji, Japan’s highest peak (3,776 m), can be photographed from many places in Fujikawaguchiko or elsewhere. Fujikawaguchiko City Hall has been inundated with calls from Japanese, many of whom do not live there, who blame him for his decision. “It’s not that we don’t want people to see Mount Fuji. The problem is that there are so many people who are not able to respect the basic rules,” a city official told AFP. The net is regrettable, but perhaps necessary, residents of the region told AFP. “We welcome foreigners to revitalize the community, but there are so many basic rules that are broken, such as crossing the road, throwing garbage and entering the people’s properties,” a 60-year-old resident, who introduced herself under the name Watanabe, told AFP. “After all, they are here for Mount Fuji, so having this obstacle in front of their eyes is very regrettable”, according to her. “There might have been other ways to deal with this situation, but for the moment, I have the impression that there is nothing we can do about it”, she added. Some tourists said they understood the city’s decision while expressing hope that it would create a place for people to take photos. Others believe the barrier will only make the situation worse.”Stop people? I don’t think so, people who want it always find a way; they will go to the left or right of the barrier,” said Trinity Robinson, 29, an Australian tourist. “There will definitely be a way to take the photo. It will just be more dangerous, really.” A resident of the region calls for discovering other picturesque places in the region: “Mount Fuji, seen from here (near a convenience store), is fantastic. But there are so many other places in the area to visit where you have magnificent views,” the 37-year-old, who gave his name as Ama, told AFP. hih-cg/ juf/jg
