Barrier blocking Mount Fuji view removed - for now
A barrier that was erected to block a popular view of Mount Fuji has been taken down after successfully deterring tourists from swarming the area.
Authorities in Yamanashi prefecture installed the barrier in May after growing tired of foreign visitors' littering, bad parking and anti-social behaviour.
The barrier was removed last week - initially in preparation for a typhoon - but officials in the town of Fuji Yamaguchiko confirmed that the mesh screen would remain down for the time being.
However, if tourists return in large numbers then screen would go back up, officials said.
The barrier was installed in Fujikawaguchiko in May
"We wanted to see what would happen," an official told AFP news agency.
"There are still some people who come to the place, but we no longer find many people suddenly rushing out into the traffic to cross the road. We feel like it has been effective," he added.
The barrier blocked a view of a Lawson convenience store in the foreground with Japan's most iconic landmark rising behind it.
The contrast between one of Japan's most ubiquitous shops and the soaring volcano made it an especially popular photo spot for visitors looking to capture the perfect 'Japanese' photograph.
But seeing their local convenience store - popularly referred to online as "Mount Fuji Lawson" - become a viral internet sensation was an unwelcome development for the inhabitants of Fujikawaguchiko, especially in a year when Japan experienced record levels of tourism.
“They cross the street and they don’t seem to care about the cars at all, it is dangerous. And they leave trash and cigarette butts everywhere," said one local resident speaking to the BBC in May.
-BBC
