World News
Sayonara, selfies!
A Japanese town with stunning views of Mount Fuji has become so overrun with selfie-taking tourists that it erected a fence to block the picturesque view of the sacred mountain.
Fujikawaguchiko, at the base of the Yoshida Trail leading to Mount Fuji, is flooded with foreigners looking for a perfect picture of the mountain, CNN reported.
The most sought-after photo is in front of a large Lawson – a Japanese convenience store chain – with the mountain looming in the background, highlighting the stark contrast between the neon-lit store and the beautiful natural landscape.
The city authorities, tired of the crowds of tourists, decided to erect a giant mesh barrier to block the view in the hope of deterring photographers who are too eager to invade the scene.
An official, who wished to remain anonymous, told CNN that crowds of tourists leave trash in their wake and have difficulty following traffic instructions.
Efforts such as displaying signage and deploying security guards proved futile, the official said.
“It is regrettable that we had to take such measures,” the official said.
The 8-by-66-foot net will be installed next week, CNN reported.
Fujikawaguchiko, in Japan’s Yamanashi Prefecture, is just north of Mount Fuji and about 62 miles west of the capital Tokyo.
Since the end of the pandemic, Japan has welcomed unprecedented numbers of tourists. Last month, more than three million foreigners entered the country, setting an all-time record, according to CNN.
Mount Fuji, Japan’s national symbol and a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is among the most popular destinations for visitors.
But the hordes of tourists have been brutal to Japan’s highest peak, causing erosion and leaving behind so much trash that locals have started derisively calling Mount Fuji “garbage mountain,” according to CNN .
“Overtourism – and all its consequences like litter, increased CO2 emissions and careless hikers – is the biggest problem facing Mount Fuji,” said Masatake Izumi, a government official in Fujian Prefecture. Yamanashi, to CNN Travel last year.
To help protect the mountain, Yamanashi officials established a series of new restrictions for tourists, including limiting trails to 4,000 hikers per day and charging a $13 fee, which was previously optional.
Overtourism has become a serious problem for in-demand tourist destinations around the world, some of which are taking similar measures to curb the deluge of visitors.
Venice, Italy, recently imposed a 5-euro ($5.36) fee on day-trippers visiting the City of Canals. And even though the city raised $30,000 on the first day of the controversial program, critics say those fees won’t even scratch the surface of the real environmental problems Venice faces.
In the United States, travelers flocking to the country’s major national parks must now make reservations or risk being denied entry due to overcrowding.
News Source : nypost.com
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