Just days after a barrier went up to block tourists from a popular photo spot in Japan, holes could be seen in the screen. According to Time, the black mesh has 10 openings in it, small enough that photo quality likely isn’t that good, but still big enough to take a snapshot or two.
Mount Fuji is a beloved destination in Japan, and visitors have been known to do everything in their power to get the perfect photo or selfie with the slopes looming in the background.
But when one location — a Lawson convenience store — became overcrowded with eager photographers, local officials took matters into their own hands by erecting a screen barrier.
According to Japan Today, the surplus of visitors in the area caused local complaints of jaywalking and other disturbances.
Why was the barrier built?
The screen barrier went up last Tuesday, according to The Associated Press, in an effort to prevent the surplus of crowds around the convenience store.
Local residents “complained about visitors blocking the narrow sidewalk and walking into the busy road or onto neighboring properties to get their shots.” The installation of the barrier cost 1.3 million yen — roughly $8,285 — and stretches 2.5 meters high and 20 meters in length.
Officials discovered a hole in the screen just one day after it was installed, per The Associated Press.
The number of visitors to the town of Fujikawaguchiko — where the photo site is located — has increased substantially since the COVID-19 pandemic, according to CBS News. “Record numbers of overseas tourists are now coming to Japan, where monthly visitors exceeded three million for the first time in March and then again in April.”
Why does the barrier have holes in it?
Mayor Hideyuki Watanabe of Fujikawaguchiko announced plans to build a new screen, according to Kyodo News. Because the color black has a “negative image,” the new screen will likely be blue or green and will be built with a stronger material.
“It is disappointing to see a lack of morals,” Watanabe said of the ones making the holes.
Per Kyodo News, the town put up a sign “requesting that visitors not touch the screen and mentions that it will be repaired as necessary.”
Tourists reportedly rushed to Lawson convenience store for some final photos and glimpses of Mount Fuji before the original black screen went up, according to Time. Some tourists are so intrigued by the barrier that they’re taking the time to visit it.
A town official told Agence France-Presse that despite the crowds, “we have achieved the purpose of discouraging people from staying there.”
AloJapan.com