Fujiyoshida cancels hanami
Fujiyoshida has canceled its annual cherry‑blossom festival because of overwhelming tourist numbers — a direct backlash against influencer‑driven crowds. This move, reported March 23, signals growing tension between local communities and mass sakura tourism. (theguardian.com)
Fujiyoshida’s decision affects the Arakurayama Sengen Park event — the city announced on Feb. 3, 2026 that it will not hold the annual cherry‑blossom festival this spring. (asahi.com) The festival site — famed for the Chureito Pagoda framed by Mount Fuji — had become a decade‑old attraction that drew roughly 200,000 visitors each season. (straitstimes.com) Officials and local media say the area contains more than 600 cherry trees and a five‑storey pagoda, and that unmanaged crowds have impeded daily life in surrounding residential streets. (travelpulse.com) City statements and reporting list specific complaints prompting the move: trespassing on private land, widespread littering and cigarette waste, and in some reported cases visitors defecating in private gardens. (travelandtourworld.com) Fujiyoshida says it still expects large numbers to visit during peak bloom and will not promote an official festival, instead enforcing a strengthened safety and traffic‑management period in early‑to‑mid April. (passport.news) The municipal website sets out temporary access and parking rules for the sakura season, including disabled vehicle restrictions and notices covering April 1–19, 2026, as part of the city’s crowd‑management plan. (fujiyoshida.net)
