Japanese artist Hokusai famously created a series of woodblock prints called Thirty-Six Views of Mount Fuji, and centuries later, the majestic mountain still captures the imagination. However, this is now reflected in a record number of tourists who want to remember their visit with carefully staged photographs.
An unencumbered view of Mount Fuji is something to be treasured — so much so that a real estate developer this week agreed to tear down a nearly completed apartment building in western Tokyo because it obstructed residents’ view of the mountain. Developer Sekisui House said it decided to demolish the 10-storey building due to “insufficient consideration of the impact on the landscape”.
The mountain’s popularity is also causing problems in other parts of Japan, where huge barriers are installed to block views of popular photo spots from authorities irritated by crowds of ill-behaved foreign tourists.
What is Mount Fuji and where is it located?
The 3,776 meter high peak – an active volcano that last erupted in 1707 – is the most famous mountain in Japan and probably the world. It owes that to its satisfyingly conical contours, which straddle Shizuoka and Yamanashi prefectures, and its inimitable place in the Japanese psyche. It is a place of religious pilgrimage, a harbinger of good fortune and inspiration for countless artists and writers. It is no coincidence that the mountain, which is visible from Tokyo on a clear day, featured in the opening ceremony of the 2019 Rugby World Cup and the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
Why has it become a must for visitors?
Its popularity is an inevitable consequence of the increase in tourism to Japan since the country lifted travel restrictions following the Covid-19 pandemic. Helped by a weak yen and Japan’s reputation for safety, hospitality and delicious food, more than 3 million people visited in March and April, with annual numbers expected to surpass the previous record of 31.9 million in 2019. Visit Mount Fuji Skip to Japan it would be like missing the pyramids on a trip to Egypt. While the mountain is visible from bullet trains long enough to photograph, many tourists are eager to get much closer to enjoy the perfect holiday memento.
Why are cities blocking popular views of Fuji?
The UNESCO World Heritage site has become a destination for visitors hoping to capture a quintessential Japanese photo for their social media accounts. That’s why a mesh screen was installed in the town of Fujikawaguchiko this month to deter hordes of visitors planning to capture the mountain looming in the distance, with another Japanese icon – a Lawson convenience store – in the foreground. But the measure, which was introduced after complaints that visitors were littering, trespassing and breaking road rules, has had mixed results. Within days, holes large enough to fit smartphone camera lenses began to appear on the mesh screen. The plan is to build a new barrier made of harder material. Authorities in a nearby city say they will erect a tall metal fence by the end of the month after visitors with smartphones strayed onto a busy road to take photos of the Mount Fuji Dream Bridge.
What did the authorities do about the overcrowding on the mountain itself?
People hoping to summit Fuji, or at least one of its higher stages, will soon have to book in advance and pay a Â¥2,000 (£10) fee. The measure, which applies to the popular Yoshida Trail up the mountain, will take effect at the start of the annual climbing season in July. Authorities hope the fee will ease concerns about overcrowding and littering and discourage “bullet ascents” in which climbers, often inexperienced and ill-dressed, start their ascent at night so they reach the summit in time to watch the sunrise and then descend without resting properly. Entry to the route will be limited to 4,000 per day to ease congestion and no climbing will be allowed between 4pm and 3am.