Japan overtourism clogs Mount Fuji

Japan’s tourism boom has turned one convenience store view of Mount Fuji into a test of how far local authorities will go to control crowds. (asahi.com) (time.com) The flashpoint is a Lawson store near Kawaguchiko Station in Fujikawaguchiko, Yamanashi Prefecture, where a viral angle makes Mount Fuji look as if it is perched on the roof. The image spread widely on social media in 2022 and drew heavy tourist traffic after Japan lifted border restrictions. (tokyoweekender.com) Residents and businesses said visitors were jaywalking, littering, blocking sidewalks and parking without permission to get the shot. A nearby dental clinic said some tourists even climbed onto its roof and hurled insults when asked to move. (time.com) Fujikawaguchiko responded in May 2024 with a black mesh screen measuring 2.5 meters high and 20 meters wide, built to block the mountain view from the road. Officials described it as a last resort after multilingual signs and security guards failed to stop dangerous crossings. (time.com) (euronews.com) The barrier did not end the standoff. Within a week, authorities found about 10 small holes in the screen, apparently made by sightseers trying to photograph Fuji through it. (time.com) Officials later reinforced the material, then removed the screen in August 2024 ahead of a typhoon. On August 7, 2025, the town installed a lower barrier, about 1.4 meters high, that still discourages illegal crossings while allowing photos. (tokyoweekender.com) The town says nuisance behavior has fallen, but the site remains a symbol of a larger strain around Mount Fuji and in Japan’s busiest destinations. Japan recorded 42.7 million foreign visitors in 2025, topping the previous record of 36.87 million in 2024. (tokyoweekender.com) (asahi.com) The government is now pairing local fixes with mountain-wide rules. On Mount Fuji’s Yoshida Trail, climbing restrictions introduced in 2024 remain in place for 2026, with paid entry registration and gate controls aimed at safety and overcrowding. (fujisan-climb.jp 1) (fujisan-climb.jp 2) The official Mount Fuji climbing site says preregistration and payment are available online, and the 2026 season is scheduled to open July 1 on the Yoshida and Subashiri trails and July 10 on the other main routes. The measures are designed to keep a famous mountain from being overwhelmed by the same demand that made it more famous. (fujisan-climb.jp)