The solution to stop tourists visiting a spot for the view? Simple, block the view. That’s what one Japanese town will be doing. 

Fujikawaguchiko, at the foot of the Yoshida Trail to Mount Fuji, specifically outside the Lawson’s convenience store, has become a hotspot for foreign tourists who are not impartial to a selfie. The contrast of the fluorescent store lights and stunning natural vista in the background, who could resist? 

But the town, which is about 100 kilometres west of Tokyo, has been overrun with disrespectful tourists who don’t follow road rules and leave trash behind. While the town initially took less drastic measures, like putting up signs and hiring security guards to monitor the area, it was not effective. 

Because of this local officials have decided to erect a giant mesh barrier to block the view of Mount Fuji to deter tourists from visiting. The net will be 20 metres long and 2.5 metres high and will be installed as early as this week. 

The Yamanashi prefecture, which the town of Fujikawaguchiko resides in, has also introduced a 4,000-person daily limit for hikers looking to tackle Mount Fuji and a mandatory fee of 2,000 yen ($13) to help curb over tourism. 

This isn’t the first instance local Japanese governing bodies have had to put new rules in place to deter tourists from disrupting or disrespecting locals. In Kyoto, tourists are being banned from entering certain alleys in Gion, the famous geisha district in Kyoto, due to reports tourists have been behaving badly. Local residents had become fed-up with hordes of tourists, saying their neighbourhood “is not a theme park,” pleading with the city to take action. Reported incidents of unruly tourists include a maiko’s kimono being torn and another having a cigarette butt put in her collar. A maiko is an apprentice geisha. 

Entry fees to tourist hot spots that were previously free are becoming more commonplace as local governments deal with the effects of over tourism. Last week, Venice introduced a new daily fee for day trippers. 

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