Mount Fuji crowd rules rise

The postcard view is still there, but the easy free-for-all around Mount Fuji is disappearing fast as towns around the Fuji Five Lakes try to keep spring crowds from turning roads, sidewalks, and parks into hazards. In Fujikawaguchiko, the town says the point of its most famous crowd-control move was simple: stop traffic accidents near the Lawson convenience store by Kawaguchiko Station. (town.fujikawaguchiko.lg.jp) That black screen went up in May 2024 after tourists kept spilling into the street for the Mount Fuji photo, and the town’s own notice links the barrier directly to resident and visitor safety. The same page now doubles as a tourist-control hub with alternate photo spots, traffic rules, toilet maps, and a drone ban. (town.fujikawaguchiko.lg.jp) Spring makes the pressure worse because Kawaguchiko sits high enough that cherry blossoms peak later than Tokyo, which pulls another wave of visitors north after the big-city blooms fade. Japan-guide reported on April 8 that Lake Kawaguchiko was at full bloom and expected one of its busiest weekends of the season. (japan-guide.com) The Mount Fuji draw is not one single lookout but a whole transport funnel that starts in Tokyo and empties into a few stations, roads, and lakeside paths. The Japan National Tourism Organization says buses from Shinjuku reach Kawaguchiko in about two hours, which is close enough for huge day-trip surges when weather turns clear. (japan.travel) This is why local officials have moved from tourism promotion to tourism triage. The same April 8 field report said overtourism was bad enough at Chureito Pagoda that the site was skipped entirely, and it noted that local government had canceled one annual cherry-blossom event in hopes of easing the crush. (japan-guide.com) The safety problem is not just crowds on asphalt. The cherry trees themselves can become a risk when old trunks or heavy branches fail over picnic areas and walking paths. (asahi.com) The Asahi Shimbun reported that a 15- to 20-meter cherry tree estimated to be more than 60 years old fell at Tokyo’s Kinuta Park on April 2, and another sakura tree fell at Chidorigafuchi around the same time. Tokyo then checked trees at several dozen metropolitan parks before peak hanami traffic arrived. (asahi.com) That warning is bigger than Tokyo because the national government found 1,732 cases between April 2021 and November 2024 in which fallen trees or branches in parks or along streets injured people or damaged property. If you are heading to Mount Fuji for cherry blossoms, the real plan is no longer just “find the best view,” but “check the latest local notice, obey barriers, and be ready for closures even on a clear day.” (asahi.com)