After several delays, a large mesh barrier was finally put up on Tuesday at a popular viewing spot for Mount Fuji — in front of a convenience store in Fujikawaguchiko, Yamanashi Prefecture — to deter photo-taking by an ever-growing number of tourists.
While Japan's most famous sight can be seen for miles around, streams of foreign visitors had thronged to this particular spot where the snow-capped mountain soars majestically into the sky from behind a Lawson convenience store.
Parking illegally and ignoring a smoking ban, these visitors crammed onto a sidewalk to get the perfect shot, inconveniencing local residents who became fed up with the resulting littering, trespassing and traffic violations, and leading to the drastic measure.