Japan city that blocked view of Mount Fuji already wants new barrier, as holes seem in mesh display screen

Tokyo — A Japanese city will change a barrier mounted to discourage unruly vacationers from taking pictures of Mount Fuji after holes have been poked within the mesh display screen, the nation’s greatest nationwide information company and different retailers reported Thursday. The barrier was put up final week in a well-liked viewing spot within the city of Fujikawaguchiko, the place residents had complained about streams of largely international guests littering, trespassing and breaking site visitors guidelines.

However not less than 10 small holes have already been noticed within the black netting, which is about eight ft excessive and 65 ft lengthy, hung exterior a comfort retailer behind which the mountain could be seen rising within the distance.    
The brand new barrier will probably be made from stronger materials and presumably modified to a lighter shade equivalent to blue or inexperienced, nationwide information company Kyodo Information and different Japanese media reported.

Mayor Hideyuki Watanabe informed reporters he “hopes to vary the barrier as quickly as doable” earlier than the summer time vacation season, in keeping with the Asahi Shimbun every day.

Talking to CBS Information accomplice community BBC Information concerning the resolution to erect the barrier within the first place, Kazuhiko Iwama, 65, who has his personal view of Japan’s iconic peak from his house, stated vacationers have been routinely crossing the road in entrance of the comfort retailer, “and so they do not appear to care concerning the automobiles in any respect. It’s harmful, and so they go away trash and cigarette butts in every single place.”

“I really feel unhappy for these vacationers who come all the way in which to see the view and take footage, however site visitors right here is sort of heavy, and we’re all very involved about accidents,” one other resident, 73-year-old Kikue Katsumata informed the BBC.

The city began getting an inflow of vacationers as post-COVID pandemic journey elevated and the Japanese yen weakened, making it rather more inexpensive for folks from different international locations to trip in Japan.

Document numbers of abroad vacationers are actually coming to Japan, the place month-to-month guests exceeded three million for the primary time in March after which once more in April. However as in different vacationer hotspots, equivalent to Venice which not too long ago launched a trial of entry charges for day guests, the inflow has not been universally welcomed.

In Japan’s historical capital of Kyoto, locals have complained of vacationers harassing town’s famed geisha.

Hikers utilizing the most well-liked path to climb Mount Fuji this summer time will probably be charged 2,000 yen ($13) every, with entries capped at 4,000 folks to ease congestion.