Town pushes back on crowds
One Japanese town has expressed growing frustration with crowds that come to photograph cherry blossoms and Mount Fuji, reporting strain on local facilities and visitor behavior issues. Local officials and residents have publicly voiced concern about managing surge days during peak bloom (alojapan.com).
Fujiyoshida, a city at the base of Mount Fuji, canceled its 2026 cherry blossom festival after residents and officials said crowds were overwhelming local streets and homes. (apnews.com) The flashpoint is Arakurayama Sengen Park, home to Chureito Pagoda and one of Japan’s most copied spring photos: Mount Fuji framed by pink blossoms and a red pagoda. The city had promoted a Sakura Matsuri there in 2025 from April 1 to April 18, with road closures, extra parking and shuttle buses. (apnews.com) (city.fujiyoshida.yamanashi.jp) Visitors still came in early April 2026 even without the festival. Associated Press reported traffic jams, littering, trespassing, smoking, and tourists entering private property or demanding to use residents’ toilets in nearby neighborhoods. (apnews.com) Mayor Shigeru Horiuchi said the city could no longer prioritize tourism over residents’ daily lives. Fujiyoshida’s official site lists a population of 45,693 people and describes the city as a gateway to Mount Fuji and the Fuji Five Lakes area. (apnews.com) (city.fujiyoshida.yamanashi.jp) The squeeze comes as inbound travel to Japan stays near record levels. Jiji Press, citing the Japan National Tourism Organization, reported 3,618,900 foreign visitors in March 2026, the highest March total on record, and 10,683,500 arrivals in the first three months of the year. (sp.m.jiji.com) Cherry blossom season concentrates those arrivals into a few days and a few photo spots. Fujiyoshida’s English tourism page says blossoms there usually peak in early to mid-April, and the city’s own marketing highlights Chureito Pagoda as a signature view. (city.fujiyoshida.yamanashi.jp 1) (city.fujiyoshida.yamanashi.jp 2) City officials have not shut the park itself. The change was to cancel the organized festival, which in past years came with traffic controls and tourism management, while residents and officials publicly warned that the area’s narrow residential streets and facilities were under strain. (apnews.com) (city.fujiyoshida.yamanashi.jp) Fujiyoshida is still advertising other spring events, including the Fujizakura Festival from April 17 to April 29, 2026, outside the Chureito Pagoda hotspot. The city is not turning away visitors; it is trying to spread them out and keep one postcard view from swallowing a town of 45,693. (fujiyoshida.net) (city.fujiyoshida.yamanashi.jp)
