A Japanese town is fighting an uphill battle against rude tourists who are making the lives of locals more difficult only to take an impressive picture.
Fujikawaguchiko, a town home to some 26,500 people in the foothills of Mount Fuji, recently installed a huge 8.2ft high and 66ft long black net.
This screen, which cost £6,485 (1.3 million yen) was installed on May 21 to try and stop tourists from taking pictures of Mount Fuji.
The town’s location allows for stunning pictures of the world-famous volcano.
One particular spot outside a Lawson convenience store makes it possible to take a picture in which Mount Fuji appears to be sitting on top of the roof of the building.Â
This has resulted in tourists flocking to the town and disrupting the daily lives of many locals by taking over the narrow pavement, ignoring road rules or even standing on someone’s property to take their shots, officials said.
The black screen aimed to quash the rude behaviour of tourists by barring the view of the volcano from the favoured position and preventing them from taking any photos of the volcano.
A town official said last month when speaking about the instalment of the barrier: “It’s regrettable we have to do this, because of some tourists who can’t respect rules.”
However, authorities noticed a hole had appeared in the material the day after the net screen had been installed.
By late May, Japanese officials found around 10 similar holes, all at eye level and seemingly big enough to fit a camera lens through.
Nevertheless, authorities believe the installation of the black mesh alongside additional fencing has helped ease the pressure of overtourism in the 61.16sq mi town.Â