The Japanese authorities on Feb 3 announced it would cancel the annual cherry blossom festival at Arakurayama Sengen Park, a spring tradition that draws 200,000 each year, with the Fujiyoshida city government citing the need to curb excessive tourist numbers and protect local residents.
Serious problems such as traffic congestion, harassment against locals and hygiene issues have become commonplace, prompting the municipal government to choose to call off the sakura festival in 2026, it said in a statement on Feb 3.
The government of the city in Yamanashi Prefecture near the iconic Mount Fuji said factors such as the weak yen and explosive popularity driven by social media led to the number of foreign tourists visiting Japan increasing dramatically, far beyond expectations.
This situation is exacerbated during the cherry blossom season in spring, when the festival has seen an influx of more than 10,000 visitors per day looking to capture stunning shots of the snow-capped Fuji with the Chureito Pagoda in its foreground.
The cherry blossom festival at the Arakurayama Sengen Park has been hosted by the Fujiyoshida municipal government for around 10 years, it added.
But its mass popularity has also brought along some undesirable behaviour associated with the ills of overtourism, which the city government said has seriously impacted the living environment of local residents.
Some examples cited by the city government included tourists littering private property with cigarette butts, trespassing and opening doors into locals’ homes to use the toilet, or simply defecating in private gardens and creating unwanted commotions when stopped.
The unmanageable human flows on pavements near schools have also seen some children pushed off the pavements, leading parents to raise concerns over their safety.
The Fujiyoshida city government said it has been questioned by locals for hosting the cherry blossom festival at the cost of burdening residents. This led it to make the difficult decision of choosing their peace over tourism promotion measures.
The “Arakuraya Sengen Park Cherry Blossom Festival” name will be wiped off official tourism websites, said the city government.
As tourists are still expected to descend upon the city during the sakura season, safety measures including security guards and portable restrooms will be deployed.
Visitors are urged to use public transportation and refrain from entering residential areas or taking unauthorised photos. Waiting times to enter the park’s observation deck are also expected to stretch up to three hours.
“For Fujiyoshida City, Mount Fuji is not just a tourist attraction; it is our very way of life. However, I feel a strong sense of crisis about the reality that, behind the beautiful scenery, the quiet lives and dignity of our residents are being threatened,” said Mayor Shigeru Horiuchi.
He expressed a longer term ideal to transform Fujiyoshida into a sustainable tourism city residents can take pride in co-exist with tourists, vowing to take in feedback from locals and stakeholder organisations.
AloJapan.com