Town in Japan to block Mount Fuji view to fend off tourists

A huge black barrier to block Mount Fuji from view will be installed in a popular photo spot by the Japanese authorities exasperated by crowds of badly behaved foreign tourists.

Construction of the mesh net 2.5m high and the length of a cricket pitch at 20m - will begin as early as next week, an official from Fujikawaguchiko town said on April 26.

It is regrettable to have to do this "because of some tourists who can't respect rules", leaving litter behind and ignoring traffic regulations, he told AFP.

It is the latest direct action in Japan against overtourism after residents of Kyoto's geisha district banned visitors from small private alleys in 2024.

Record numbers of overseas tourists are travelling to the country, where monthly visitors exceeded three million in March for the first time ever.