Just because an idea works on paper doesn’t mean it will work in practice. They confirmed this in Japan. A few days ago, officials in Fujikawaguchiko, a city located an hour and a half drive from Tokyo and very popular for its views of Fuji, installed a large black fence to prevent tourists from crowding a neighborhood with a particularly picturesque perspective. mountain. It hasn’t even been ten days yet and the fence in question already resembles Gruyere cheese. Local authorities counted a dozen holes in the network large enough to fit a camera.

If the law is passed…

The highly acclaimed “Fuji Lawson”. No, “Fuji Lawson” isn’t a slope of Japan’s iconic mountain, or a volcano climbing route, or anything like that. The term is the sum of “Fuji” and “Lawson”, a Japanese convenience store chain, and in recent months it has come to be used to denote a very popular image on social networks: an imposing photo of a Lawson establishment. Fuji in the background, as if standing on its roof.

The image in question was taken from a very specific location in the city of Fujikawaguchiko, which is less than an hour and a half drive from Tokyo and has become a very popular destination for photography enthusiast tourists for this very reason. . They go there, camera in hand, to upload their personal versions of “Fuji Lawson” to Instagram, X or TikTok.

Great view, big problem… The problem is that this image has become very popular, especially since 2022. influencer He shared it on the networks, which resulted in attracting a legion of tourists to Fujikawaguchiko. And not everyone is happy to pull out their camera and snap the coveted photo. In his search selfie Ideally, there are those who jump into the street, block traffic, and even climb into forbidden places, such as the roof of a local dental clinic. We cannot help but mention that there are people who throw their garbage on the ground and park it without permission.

…Big problem, big fence. So Fujikawaguchiko officials made a strange decision. While in other cities viewpoints and staircases were built to beautify the views, there they chose to “erase” the views. At least the one that is very popular on social media, with Lawson’s store in the foreground and a snowy Fuji in the background.

A few days ago, a group of workers placed metal rods and a large black mesh to create a 20-meter-long and 2.5-meter-high screen that would block the view of the famous Fuji Lawson. The goal: to end the crowds in Fujikawaguchiko’s neighborhood, which has other places with impressive views of the iconic Japanese volcano. The job wasn’t complicated or expensive (1.3 million yen, or about $8,300), but it was hoped that the black netting and additional fencing installed on the sidewalks would have an effect.

Picaresque factor. Last week, while workers were still working on the network, the BBC spoke to a tourist from the region who warned that there were more holes in the Japanese plan than could be foreseen. Really. “It might work for a few days, but I’m sure at some point someone will dig a hole and take pictures,” the visitor admitted. Hit the spot. And with surprising precision and speed. Fujikawaguchiko’s “anti-tourist” fence didn’t last 10 days in one piece. Authorities have already found a dozen holes.

A “moth-eaten” screen. The news was repeated by the Associated Press (AP) agency and the media: Weather anyone time. If the screen was installed on Tuesday, May 21, that is, just a week later, Fujikawaguchiko officials realized that the “anti-tourist” mesh already had a dozen holes.

These aren’t huge holes, but they’re big enough for someone to stick their cell phone in and photograph the Lawson store with Fuji in the background. “This is about education, it’s a shame,” a local official told Agence France-Presse. But he explains that the holes are not the size needed to take good photos. He himself tried to photograph Fuji with a camera and found that some of the unfortunate black mesh had entered the frame.

An absolute failure? No. Authorities said the screen partially eased the congestion in the area and time It is even stated that there are tourists in Fujikawaguchiko looking for other spots to photograph Fuji. They even found a different Lawson store with a beautiful view. The municipality will also be responsible for repairing the curtain that will cover the holes.

Fujikawaguchiko isn’t the only town in Japan dealing with tourist saturation, either. In Kyoto, they had to impose certain restrictions on the geisha quarter, and the Japanese authorities also decided to impose restrictions such as charging a fee to those going up to Fuji via the Yoshida road.

Image | Domenico Convertini (Flickr)

in Xataka | Japan will charge a fee to climb Mount Fuji. Reason: To prevent overcrowding of tourists from turning this place into a huge garbage dump.