In response to tourists, many of whom come from overseas, littering and blocking traffic, a privacy screen has been put up..

Back in spring, A branch of the convenience store chain Lawson in Yamanashi Prefecture has become Japan’s most unexpected attraction for foreign tourists in recent timesBut while Japanese convenience stores have gained international fame for the quality and variety of their food and drink offerings, foreign travelers did not flock to the Lawson branch in the city Mount Fuji to purchase low-calorie chicken, sour cocktails with canned Iyoshi Cola, or other new, exclusive treats from Lawson. Tourists were there for the view, and there were so many that the city eventually put up a screen to block the desired line of sight..

Foreign tourists in particular flocked to the area to see the unique view of Mount Fuji, which from certain angles seems to rise directly from Lawson’s roof. Unfortunately, the manners of the tourists were not as beautiful as the scenery. Many left trash behind, crossed the road on red lights, and blocked traffic as they hurried across the street to get the photos they wanted to take. Making matters worse was that the most popular position for photographing Lawson and Mount Fuji was across the street, where tourists blocked the walkway and access to a dentist’s office whose parking lot is not designed to handle large crowds in front of the building’s entrance.

When repeated requests to stop throwing rubbish on the ground, to stop running into the street and to make life difficult for the dental clinic staff and their patients had no effect, The city took the dramatic measure of setting up a large black screen, 20 meters long and 2.5 meters high between the dental clinic and the street, the view of Mount Fuji is completely blockedto prevent tourists from taking photos from there.

The screen was installed on May 21st, now it has finally been dismantledLate summer is typhoon season in Japan, and a strong storm was forecast for the Fujikawaguchiko area last Friday. A 20-meter-long sea wall could easily turn into a dangerous, violently whipping mass of material if it is no longer secured in the squalls. So city officials decided last Thursday to dismantle the sea wall before the typhoon arrives. But then they left the umbrella down for a few more days, and since there have been no more problems with rude tourists since then, the city has now announced that it will leave the umbrella down permanently, or at least indefinitely.A city spokesman said:

“(As long as tourists continue to show good manners) we will not put the screen back up.”

Of course, it’s possible that Fujikawaguchiko didn’t see a huge influx of rude tourists after the fence was removed last Thursday, simply because most people thought the fence was still there and had no incentive to head to a neighborhood that doesn’t otherwise have much to offer travelers. It’s also possible that social media photo enthusiasts have moved on to the next trend, and with smaller groups of visitors, there’s also less chance of an extremely inconsiderate person being among the tourists that day. Or maybe, just maybe, Yamanashi’s fence was a reminder that being inconsiderate toward others can end up ruining things for everyone, and that visitors are therefore more mindful and respectful of the neighborhood’s local community.

Regardless of the reason, it is good to know that the people of Fujikawaguchiko have this view of Mount Fuji again and will hopefully be able to keep it.

Source: Jiji
Photos ©SoraNews24
● Would you like to be informed about the latest articles from SoraNews24 as soon as they are published? Follow us on Facebook and Þjórsárden!