FUJI, Shizuoka Prefecture–A “lawless” zone here overrun by foreign visitors and plagued by bad behavior has been tamed thanks to a multi-government “model” plan to counter overtourism.
Now, Fuji city’s coffers are filling up with tourism money, once-angry locals are welcoming guests from abroad, and the visitors have a more orderly way to appreciate the original source of the commotion: Mount Fuji Dream Bridge.
The bridge, located on a national route in the southern part of Fuji city, offers an unobstructed view of Mount Fuji. The stairs on the bridge also appear to lead up to the mountain’s summit, providing an opportunity for striking shots among camera-carrying tourists.
On one sunny day in June, dozens of foreign tourists formed a line under the bridge, waiting quietly for their turn to take photos with the guidance of staff members dispatched from the city government.
Thongsuk, 46, a Thai national, came straight to the bridge from Narita Airport with his family.
“This place has recently become famous on social media in Thailand,” he said. “Everyone wants to come here. We came to pray to the sacred mountain. The mountain view makes all my family feel at peace.”
Matej Vasourek, a 24-year-old university student from the Czech Republic, learned about the bridge from Google reviews. It became the location he most wanted to visit.
“It has an amazing shape and a mystical atmosphere. I’m satisfied to have seen it in person,” he said.
Dominik Olberg from Germany visited the bridge with his girlfriend. He said they came to Japan only for Mount Fuji Dream Bridge and Tokyo’ Shibuya district.
The visitors were orderly, much to the pleasure of the nearby Toma district, where about 1,000 people live.
“It’s finally settled down, and everyone feels relieved,” said district chief Keiichi Sano, 80. “In the beginning, it was like a lawless zone.”
VIRAL BRIDGE PHOTOS
The once quiet community changed in November 2023, when foreign visitors began appearing at the bridge to take photos.
As more pictures featuring the bridge and the mountain spread on Instagram and other social media platforms, visitor numbers rose sharply.
Soon, cars were parked illegally on residential streets and at private properties, while noise and litter increased.
Some tourists even asked Toma residents for permission to use the toilets in their homes.
Dangerous behavior was also observed around the bridge, including people walking in the middle of the national highway and climbing over the median strip.
The city was flooded with complaints from residents. The trouble became national news.
Other areas of Japan have also experienced high-profile problems with overtourism, including Kyoto and Fuji-Kawaguchiko, Yamanashi Prefecture, where visitors clogged a community to take photos of a convenience store with Mount Fuji in the background.
Like those places, Fuji city took such countermeasures as installing barricades and warning signs.
But the problems persisted.
The tourism ministry and local police helped the city implement intensive countermeasures from fiscal 2024.
Police cars patrolled the area around the bridge, and certain residential roads were designated as no-entry zones for pedestrians.
The national highway office that manages the bridge also installed a 400-meter-long fence to prevent jaywalking.
However, other measures were aimed at improving the mountain-viewing experiences of the tourists.
The central government, for example, provided land for free parking and temporary toilets. The city dispatched personnel to ensure safety and provide guidance to tourists at the bridge.
“We’ve responded immediately to residents’ concerns. We want visitors to enjoy their time here, but that must not come at the cost of local peace and safety,” Takanori Matsumura, manager of the city’s tourism department, said.
Fuji city allocated about 10 million yen ($68,900) from reserve funds and supplementary budgets for the countermeasures. It also secured a subsidy from the central government to deal with overtourism.
Matsumura appeared on more than 20 TV programs to explain the city’s actions. Complaints about the tourists from Toma residents and others around Japan dropped to nearly zero.
“As long as visitors keep good manners, this can benefit many industries,” Toma leader Sano said. “Mount Fuji is one of the most beautiful World Heritage sites. I hope visitors will have a good impression of Japan after coming here.”
Some challenges remain.
Starting next spring, a 17-vehicle parking lot available for tourists will be closed for construction on the national route connected to Mount Fuji Dream Bridge. New parking facilities will be needed for visitors.
In addition, some foreign tourists linger on crosswalks. The installation of pictogram and color-coded guidance signs has been proposed as a solution to the problem.
HOTELS FILLING UP
Fuji city’s revenue from tourism has soared since it made peace with the bridge visitors.
In the first half of last fiscal year, the number of overnight stays at all hotels in the city jumped 21-fold year on year.
According to the Fujisan Tourism and Communication Bureau, a general incorporated association, the tourist information center at Shin-Fuji Station served 12,385 foreign visitors last fiscal year, a 30-percent increase from the previous year.
Most Mount Fuji climbers pass through Fuji city en route to Japan’s highest peak. The municipal government had earlier encouraged visitors to stay in Fuji, but the tourists largely bypassed the city’s accommodation facilities.
After the bridge photos went viral, officials in the city’s tourism promotion decided to seize the opportunity presented by the “miraculous phenomenon.”
The city started devising strategies to both tackle overtourism and promote tourism.
First, the city held a trial event of placing food trucks near Mount Fuji Dream Bridge in collaboration with local restaurants. The city also established a new tourist information center for foreign travelers in front of JR Fuji Station.
“We’re targeting 8 billion potential visitors from around the globe. We want tourists to enjoy the city, not just the bridge,” Matsumura said.
At a June 3 meeting of city officials, police, residents and tourist agency employees, common routes walked by tourists were traced, including around local shopping districts. The paths formed a heart shape on the map.
The city has named the course the “heart route” and has gained local cooperation to encourage tourists to explore it.
“Shop owners who previously had little contact with foreigners now see this as a business opportunity,” Hidehise Kamio, deputy manager of the Fuji Chamber of Commerce and Industry, said. “Creating new products and spreading information to promote exploration will be essential.”
Shops in Fuji are introducing multilingual communication boards or using translation apps. Some store owners also said they plan to take English conversation classes.
“Mount Fuji offers a globally treasured view. We’d like to further promote business opportunities by attaching a story to the heart route, such as ‘walk it and you’ll find happiness,’” Kazuhiro Arikawa, director of the Fujisan Tourism and Communication Bureau, said.
“At the same time, we hope to present a successful model on how to deal with the overtourism problems happening across Japan,” he added.
AloJapan.com