No more cute snaps of Mt Fuji. A screen is up in a Japanese town to prevent tourist crowds
TOKYO (AP) — Sorry, the screen is now up — no more snapping cute photos of Mount Fuji from a popular sidewalk spot in the Japanese town of Fujikawaguchiko.
Known as a place that offers some of the best views of the iconic Japanese mountain, the town last month started erecting a large black screen on a stretch of a street to block the view and deter tourists from overcrowding the place.
A particularly popular photo location was outside a Lawson convenience store, from where a photograph taken at a particular angle would make it seem as if Mt. Fuji was sitting atop the store roof.
The tourists, mostly foreigners, even dubbed the spot “Mt. Fuji Lawson.”
But the townspeople were unhappy — visitors would block the narrow sidewalk, take photos on the busy road or walk into neighbors’ properties in pursuit of their shot, officials said.
On Tuesday, construction of the 2.5 meter (8.2 feet) high black mesh net — stretching for 20 meters (66 feet) along the sidewalk — was completed.