Another barricade has been installed near Mount Fuji to prevent unruly tourists

The town of Kawaguchiko in Yamanashi Prefecture is reinforcing the new fence at its overgrown Lawson convenience store after visitors were caught digging holes in it. Meanwhile, the city of Fuji in neighboring Shizuoka Prefecture has installed its own fence to deter disruptive tourists. The city, as its name suggests, is full of viewpoints from which Japan's highest peak can be seen in the distance, but there is one place in particular that has caught the attention of enthusiastic visitors, angering local residents. .

Known in English as the “Mount Fuji Great Dream Bridge”, Fujisan Yumeno Ohashi is a viaduct that spans the Urui River in Fuji City. But above all, it faces the snow-capped volcano. As the viaduct is connected to the national highway system, it is packed with motorists entering and exiting the city.

There is, however, an adjacent footbridge that runs alongside the road so that pedestrians can cross the river. Avid photographers have been taking advantage of this pedestrian path since the bridge opened in 2016. But lately, unruly behavior has reached new heights with people parking on private roads, illegally crossing the highway to park in the median central and causing nuisance in the surrounding area. residential homes.

Although the city has designated photo spots and tourist facilities near the bridge, disruptive visitors who ignore traffic laws in favor of an Instagram-worthy photo op have prompted the city to build a makeshift barricade extending 400 meters to block the concrete strip in the bridge. in the middle of the highway.

The makeshift fence appears to be a temporary measure, as the pre-existing concrete half-wall separating the pedestrian path and the highway has not stopped people from jumping towards the road. In July, however, authorities will install a permanent fence measuring 1.8 meters high, which will likely put an end to this dangerous action.

Let's hope that's the case, before the government decides to build a colossal barrier around Mount Fuji itself.

Recommended: Here are the best (and suitable) viewpoints for photographing Mount Fuji. Otherwise, stay in these hotels in Kawaguchiko and get a view of Mount Fuji all to yourself.

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