Japanese town erects giant 65ft screen to block off views of Mount Fuji to put off 'disrespectful' tourists at overcrowded photo spot

A giant 65ft barrier to block Mount Fuji from view will be installed in a popular photo spot by Japanese authorities exasperated by crowds of badly behaved foreign tourists.

Construction of the huge mesh net - 8 feet (2.5m) high and the length of a cricket pitch at 65ft (20m) - will begin as early as next week, an official from Fujikawaguchiko town confirmed today.

'It's regrettable we have to do this, because of some tourists who can't respect rules,' leaving litter behind and ignoring traffic regulations, he said.

It is the latest direct action in Japan against overtourism after residents of Kyoto's geisha district banned visitors from small private alleys this year.

Record numbers of overseas tourists are travelling to the country, where monthly visitors exceeded three million in March for the first time ever.

Mount Fuji, Japan's highest mountain, can be photographed from many spots in the resort town of Fujikawaguchiko.

But this viewpoint is particularly popular because the majestic volcano appears behind a Lawson convenience store, which are ubiquitous in Japan.

Due to this visual juxtaposition, 'a reputation has spread on social media that this spot is very Japanese, making it a popular photo location,' said the town official who declined to be named.

The mostly non-Japanese tourists are overcrowding a stretch of pavement next to the Lawson shop, he said.

After traffic signs and repeated warnings from security guards fell on deaf ears, the town in Yamanashi region decided on the huge screen as a last resort.

The measure is also meant to protect a nearby dental clinic against the onslaught of tourists.

They sometimes park there without permission and have even been seen climbing on the roof of the clinic to get the perfect shot, the official said.

The town wishes it hadn't come down to this, he said, adding that the current plan is for the screen to be maintained until the situation improves.

Tourism to Japan has been booming since pandemic-era border restrictions were lifted, and the government has been working hard to boost visitor numbers.

But this has not been universally welcomed - including in Kyoto where locals have complained of snap-happy tourists harassing the city's immaculately dressed geisha.

And this summer, hikers using the most popular route to climb Mount Fuji will be charged $13 each, with numbers capped to ease congestion.

Other top destinations worldwide are also struggling with visitor numbers.

In May last year, the picturesque Austrian town that inspired Disney's Frozen erected a somewhat less imposing wooden fence to stop tourists taking selfies in front of its stunning views.

Hallstatt, located on the western shore of Salzkammergut, features a community of 16th century wooden houses tucked around a lake.

Mayor Alexander Scheutz said the town's 750 residents had been overwhelmed by some 7,000 tourists flocking to take pictures in front of the view every day.

Due to the negative publicity, the wall was temporarily taken down - but Scheutz reportedly had plans to put a more permanent fixture in its place. 

On Thursday Venice also began charging day-trippers for entry to tackle mass tourism, sparking concerns about how the move might affect the historic city's public image.

Under the new rules, implemented Thursday, a €5 fee will be charged to tourists passing through the city without staying overnight.

The scheme will be implemented only on the 29 busiest days of the calendar year between now and May 5, and on weekends until July 14 within certain time slots. 

Authorities hope this might help manage the flow of some 30 million tourists drawn in by the city's history and romantic canals each year.

Simone Venturini, the councillor in charge of tourism, defended the policy as part of a wider strategy trying to tackle the problems of overtourism, while admitting it was 'no magic wand'.

'We want to discourage day-trippers from visiting Venice during these 29 designated days,' he said.

Research has revealed as many as 51 per cent of Britons would be less likely to visit European travel destinations if made to pay a tourist tax.

More than half of Brits (54%) also said they’d be less likely to visit a location if they were aware of locals protesting about overtourism, with 22% saying they wouldn’t visit at all, according to polling of 2,000 respondents by Staysure.

As many as 87 per cent agreed that social media played a role in poor tourist behaviour, particularly from tourists taking photos, videos or engaging in potentially risky behaviour around popular landmarks.

Critics of the new policy argue the move is unlikely to put a significant dent in the circa 30 million trips made to Venice each year - and could backfire by tarnishing the city's public image.

Yesterday, a spate of violence rocked the city as anti-fee protesters collided with cops in the city.

Some argue the fee does not fundamentally tackle the issues overtourism is bringing to Venice, including a housing shortage.

Federica Toninello, head of the ASC association for housing, suggested the council hadn't 'really understood the consequences' of mass tourism in Venice.

'For a start, €5 will do nothing to deter people. But day trippers aren't the issue; things like the shortage of affordable housing are.

'What we need are policies to help residents, for example, making rules to limit things like Airbnb,' he said, as reported by The Guardian.

Venice's population has steadily fallen in recent years, in part as residents leave and let out their flats to tourists.

In turn, this reduces the supply of available housing and makes homes more expensive for residents.

Barcelona has faced a similar problem and, in 2021, set precedent by becoming the first European city to ban short-term private room rentals under 31 days.

Rome and Milan, two of Italy's most touristic cities, have also since sought the ability to restrict short-term room lets as rents rise and salaries flatline.

In Spain's Canary Islands, protesters have turned out to push back on the blight of overtourism, with many residents also facing difficulties finding housing due to the tourist demand for short stay accomodation.

A major demonstration went ahead in Arrecife, Lanzarote on April 20, with flyers asserting that the islands 'have a limit' and that protestors will be marching for 'conservation of natural spaces, a tourist moratorium, and tougher regulation for foreigners buying property.'

In La Palma, residents organised an event called 'Punktagorda Foresta Rock'.

They told MailOnline they plan to converse, not protest, about the issues.

'It's really just taking care of our home and the island and the people and setting healthy boundaries while making needs crystal clear,' Louis Slabbert wrote on Twitter/X.

Simon McCulloch, Chief Commercial Officer at Staysure, explained: 'It’s possible we’ll see a change in consumer behavior when the increasing cost of travel meets with an additional local tax burden. 

The large number of tourists that once flocked to these destinations simply may not feel welcome anymore or may feel that visiting a destination that is over-visited may not be the best thing for them from a sustainability, or experience perspective.'