Japan has already installed its famous "screen" to ruin one of your best views of Fuji: an anti-tourist fence

In Fujikawaguchiko They are used to tourists. A lot. For some, too much. This town in Yamanashi Prefecture, less than an hour and a half drive from Tokyo, enjoys fascinating views of Fuji. So much so that the perspective of the iconic volcano offered by one of its streets has unleashed a real fever on social networks, with swarms of visitors determined to get the best snapshot or get the selfie more spectacular. Curiously, what caught the attention of tourists in Fujikawaguchiko today was not Fuji, but a group of workers who, from the first hour, dedicated themselves to setting up a fence.

Its objective, ironies of life, is to block the views of the mountain.

A treasure, a curse. We talked to you about the Fujikawaguchiko problem a few weeks ago. His case is a clear example of how a blessing can end up becoming a curse… or how easy it is to die of success when it comes to tourism. The city, where about 26,500 people live, enjoys privileged views of the neighboring Mount Fuji. And that, of course, attracts legions of tourists eager to get the best photo of one of the great icons of Japan.

Towards 2022 that search for selfie However, the ideal began to escalate until it became almost a fever. After a influencer shared the photo of a Japanese chain store Lawson With Fuji in the background, more and more tourists began to look for the exact place from which the snapshot had been taken in Fujikawaguchiko to replicate it. The reason: I liked that combination of the Fuji and the Lawson. A lot. “The idea has spread that it is a very Japanese place,” explained a municipal official told Agence France-Presse a few weeks ago.

A nuisance… dangerous. So far nothing surprising. If things became complicated, it was due to two factors: first, due to the large number of tourists who began to flock to that specific area of ​​Fujikawaguchiko to add to their albums the famous photo of the mountain with the Lawson store in the foreground – there are some who already speaks with sarcasm “Fuji Lawson”—; and second, because some of those visitors have become a real nuisance for the locals.

There are those who throw garbage on the street, hinder traffic, ignore the instructions of the guards, park without permission… And even climb into prohibited places to get an even more spectacular image of Fuji.

If you can’t handle them… Block the views, which is what the Fujikawaguchiko authorities have done. To avoid inconvenience and security problems in the city, they have adopted an unusual measure: giving up their views of Fuji. At least from the street that attracts tourists because in reality the mountain, located 60 kilometersis visible from other areas.

Cover the Fuji, 3,776 meters high, it would be quite a feat, so in Fujikawaguchiko they opted for the most practical option: installing a screen of 2.5 meters high and 20 m long that covers the views from the popular viewpoint.

An “anti-tourist” fence. After several delays, the screen was installed today, Tuesday. The work started in the morning and a few hours later, precise Japan Times, the “anti-tourist” fence was already complete. The idea was for it to be tall, practical and effective. Whether it was more or less aesthetic was secondary.

Images captured by the media local and international that have covered the works show a simple screen, made up of rods as poles, a wiring that serves as a framework and a black mesh. Ironically, today she has achieved the exact opposite of what he was looking for: the works attracted reporters and the curious.

“Someone will make a hole”. The reactions of visitors and neighbors were mixed yesterday in Fujikawaguchiko. Yuri Vavilin, a Kazakh tourist, recognized the BBC network He wouldn’t be surprised if people eager to take an image of the “Fuji Lawson” end up looking for a way to get around the fence and peek out with their camera. “It may work for a few days, but I’m sure at some point someone will dig a hole and take a photo,” relates to the British network.

Of similar opinion, Kazuhiko Iwama, a 65-year-old neighbor who lives right in front of the store, warns that curious onlookers may be encouraged to take even more risks and go out into the street to take photos. Already now, he recalls, “they cross and they don’t seem to care at all about the cars.” Before the screen, local authorities had already opted for other solutions, such as installing warnings in english. The area also incorporates metal bars to prevent dangerous crossings.

Mass tourism, in focus. The Fujikawaguchiko screen has attracted attention inside and outside Japan, but in reality it is just another attempt by the country to combine the daily lives of its inhabitants with its enormous tourist popularity.

Coinciding with the yen weaknessthe country has chained two months with notable influx data of more than three million visitors, and already points to a historic year for the sector. Combining that “boom” with your routine and traditions is not always easy. Japan recently announced restrictions in the geisha neighborhood, in Kyoto; and has decided also charge a fee to ascend Fuji through the popular Yoshida trail, which is used by 60% of visitors.

Image | Hans-Johnson (Flickr)

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