A tall metal fence will soon be erected to manage the behavior of unruly tourists at a popular Mount Fuji photo spot, following complaints from local residents. Last month, a black screen was installed in a nearby town to obstruct an Instagram-famous view of the snow-capped volcano rising behind a convenience store.
Residents of Fuji City have voiced concerns about mostly foreign visitors venturing into the road on the Mount Fuji Dream Bridge, seeking the perfect shot of Japan’s highest peak. Despite its name, the bridge is an ordinary structure over a river, with a narrow pavement separated from the road by a waist-high concrete wall.
Tourists have been jaywalking across the road to reach a vacant area between the two lanes of traffic, posing for photos, making videos, or simply hanging out, sometimes with their suitcases in tow. To deter this risky behavior, authorities have already put up low metal scaffolding and signs urging people to stay off the stretch of tarmac. The next step is to install a 1.8-meter (6 feet) high metal mesh fence around the area by the end of June.
Residents “welcome visitors as long as basic rules are observed,” says Haruhito Yoshizaki, a tourism official in Fuji, adding that the measure is intended to ease local residents’ frustrations. He suggests the possibility of creating a sightseeing course to promote more considerate exploration. A pedestrian staircase to the bridge, which appears in numerous photos on Instagram and other platforms, has also become a popular spot for wedding pictures due to its alignment with Mount Fuji.
Complaints have also arisen about tourists parking illegally in the quiet neighborhood and shouting to one another when taking wide shots from afar. Although the Dream Bridge has existed for about a decade, it began attracting photo-hungry visitors in November, with the crowds growing significantly in recent weeks as photos taken at the spot spread on social media.
In response, the city has set up a parking area and a bathroom facility at the bridge to alleviate the burden on locals. Meanwhile, the nearby town of Fujikawaguchiko plans to rebuild a black mesh barrier next to the convenience store with stronger material. The existing screen, intended to prevent littering, trespassing, and traffic rule violations, has already been damaged with several small holes poked in it.
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