UPDATE: This town will BLOCK Mount Fuji from Tourists 

Japan should follow Italy and Singapore and start being more stringent in their nuisance laws for tourists. Once you hear some stories of people being forced to pay exorbitant fees for littering or sitting in jail for a week for desecrating property, I think a lot of the misbehavers will either smarten up or stop coming.

People should respect areas so I am on the side of the store.

I don't understand the compulsion to take the EXACT SAME photo as everyone else is taking, especially if all you're doing it for is to impress people you don't know on social media. I come back from each Japan trip with several hundred GB of photos, and some of the best days I've had in Japan is my street photography days seeking out photos that nobody else has. I don't think that Gion and Lawson Kawaguchiko are the last we've heard of these restrictions, especially given the growth of tourism numbers. As much as I love getting more for my dollar, the only relief I can see is the Yen getting it's strength back, and for the sake of domestic Japanese travelers I hope that happens for them soon.

Lawson is so big in Japan they don't even want the free publicity... they just want to run a nice store without a bunch of idiots running around. lol

It's good they are putting up the screen, too many people in a spot not designed for heavy tourism

I saw this kind of thing happening at the Abbey Rd crossing in London where people would block the traffic for several moments at a time in an attempt to recreate the Abbey Rd album cover. Naturally the motorists weren't impressed by them.

I was just there a week ago and was wondering why there were so many people inside and in front of the store. I just wanted to get an onigiri before taking the bus and couldn't figure out why there were people posing in front of the store. This explains it lol.

Interesting trend and news! thanks!

No need to block the view. They need to start arresting the folks breaking the rules. Trust me, they'll act right immediately

Lol I've been to that Lawson on my first trip last year - wasn't aware it was such a Instagram thingy as Fuji-san was being a tease that day and intermittently visible! I got some good shots at the nearby station when the clouds started to fade..

It's so sad that this extreme measure is needed to combat bad behaviour. Basic respect for locals isn't difficult, so it's disappointing that this is the most realistic option to be successful now. I know I would be 100% happy to pay a fee to have access to a more easily accessible lookout, so hopefully that's something that could be invested in to redirect tourists in addition to the screen.

There's Mount Mayon in the Philippines. It is like Mount Fuji but tropical. You can take unlimited photos. 😊

Kawaguchiko was such a hectic day on my last Japan trip with long lines and overcrowded view spots. Spent most of the day being packed like sardines in buses and stuck in long lines for hours and getting like 10-15 mintutes of Fujisan view. Planning to go to Shizuoka for my next trip for viewing this iconic mountain. I heard there is a nice countryside farm from which you can see Fuji. I will be taking some 1st time Japan travellers with me. Would you recommend this spot to Kawaguchiko?

The failure to properly handle this unprecedented boom in mass tourism in Japan - which was fully wished for and endorsed by the current Kishida administration and his predecessor Abe - will eventually destroy the Japan we know as it is today, to my greatest dismay. I've lived here for 17 years now and I honestly feel for the first time this year that the situation in Japan has reached a proverbial tipping point. There are too many currents that are presently, little by little, combining into a larger-than-life domino effect. Other than the tourism situation these include: - A government made of mostly old farts that are so fully out of touch with reality in the 21st century that I cannot even express it in words - Severely declining birthrate and world winning virginity in adults and single people rate across the country - Extreme aging of the population - Serious continuing inability to even partially use the international language English (I’m not a native English speaker myself) - Overwhelming lack of ambition from the current generation of young adults to do anything about any above points These are just a few factors to demonstrate how presently, little by little, the situation in Japan has reached a proverbial tipping point. I can only pray for a miracle now; but the way things are going since 2020 I can most unfortunately foresee Japan becoming basically for sale to the highest overseas bidder; and I’m not talking about exports I’m talking about the culture, people, wealth, and land.

I laughed when I saw people with tripods outside that Lawson store. It’s just a convenience store with Mt. Fuji in the background. And it’s not the only one. It’s getting out of hand with everyone trying to take the same photos. I do wish the store wouldn’t block the view. Maybe issue fines to people breaking the laws when crossing the street. 🌸 Heidi

I went to Japan for 10 days earlier this month and didn’t see the snowy part of Fuji once.

It's because many influencers have made it so damn popular that many tourist are only following that to get that 1 instagram photo they saw from whoever they follow or saw instead of taking in consideration that the area is a local neighborhood and you need to behave. Same happened to that famous street in Tokyo that lighted up sakuras at night time and the last few night they didn't do it because people weren't following the traffic officer and staying on the road even when the officer was yelling to move to sidewalk so cars can go by.

🗻We had planned to visit Mount Fuji-san🗻, but after seeing it on the Shinkansen 🚅returning from Kyoto. We just decided to do something else. Takes one day of crisis out of our trip.

A fear if more problems occur in Fujiyoshida. That picture at 1:25 with a clear view of Fuji in the line of traffic. Another concern is near Kamakurakokomae being a photo spot of the Enoden crossing because of Slam Dunk. So many tourists gather in that spot with barely a sidewalk and the street being a right-of-way through traffic, plus a past incident of trespassing the high school. A recurring news when I found many Japanese news videos.

Or just do what I did and spend a bit of money on a decent hotel room with balcony views of Mt Fuji. Definitely didn't want to fight to get a photo of Mt Fuji with other tourists. That being said there are plenty of opportunities to take a photo of Mt Fuji on a nice day where there won't be crowds of people. Just don't go to the hot spots as they're not worth visiting due to crowds of people.

What are your thoughts?! Don't forget to LIKE the video too!

Also... the extent of people taking pictures of some things? Was a bit confusing? I see people taking photos of the airport gifts shop areas and promo trucks? 😅 ive taken plent of my photos too but too many people make me nervous

So long as that particular Lawson is prepared for the decrease in revenue and they have proper planning permission for the screen, then that's a choice the business is entitled to make. It does feel like there is a continuous shifting to blaming people instead of the insufficient infrastructure (e.g. Kyoto) and crowd control (here) at the moment though. Tourists in Japan seem to be the popular scapegoat that immigrants unfortunately are in other countries.

I think about visiting Japan in 2025 and I would also like to climb Mount Fuji. Are there possibilities to store your luggage at the 5th station or in town so you can go up just with a small hiking backpack?

I only recently started coming to Japan for Japan-Pow. So I would only be there when there was snow, and now it is getting difficult during the winter month due to the influx of tourist. I love Japan. It’s disheartening that people who come there can’t respect the people or the culture. I hope the trend stops, or it will ruin a great place.

Bro went up untill snow and came back down. Meet up with a local merathon and had a moutian guy invite him to sit with him at the temple. The locals were suprised but chated up with him a bit. No pictures as everyone has them. Did a trek on another side too about an hour and half. I will say, if japan wants to attract and coordinate more tourist, theyll have to focuse more on how to plan it. I live in central florida and for the most part they keep adapting to dealing with tourists. Is not about catering to tourists but how to make it less stressful on the average worker. You can only do so much though. The amount of times i delt with people trying to rush me to do my job or driving through tourist traffic... i feel for the locals as most hot spots were way too busy for us. We're big city folks.

Although it was a huge waste of time for me to go at all, I wanted to mention it can be extremely difficult to find the Fuji buses from the Shinjuku station, so allow 45 minutes to an hour. We allowed over 30 minutes for this and only made the bus with a couple of minutes to spare. We had to run like maniacs and ask about 10 people for directions.

7/11 was founded in the US. Japan bought them out because of their unique “clicks-and-bricks” digital strategy about 10 years ago.

It's sad for the locals to have a screen up to cut out the view and other screens and traffic cones to manage tourists. It destroys their quality of life. It's odd that they have gone this way and not pedestrianised the street, put in an entry/exit gate and charged access. Even a souvenir acrylic Lawson or 7-11 to replicate the photo anywhere around Mt Fuji would dilute the street's popularity and lead to some fun photos that are unique.

It's unfortunate for everyone, the Kyoto ban and the "Fuji screen" won't hurt tourists at all. They are going to do what they want either way. Some stores and shops will suffer without the cash spent by tourists. With the yen falling it seems that tourists are needed, only my opinion of course. After living in japan for so long the rose colored glasses do come off from time to time, it's not just tourists who are rude and misbehaving. Though I have seen "over tourism" and it is amazing and chaotic, one person shoved me and i was carrying my son, I went berserk thinking "Damn Tourists" only to find out it was a local. What do you do at that point? I know I yelled at the person and they were very apologetic, but it shouldn't have been an issue in the first place, the reply of "I thought you were a tourist" All around Respect is the issue. Or at least the faux issue 😂 some people are still afraid of me because I'm a foreigner, I always will be, but I always keep in mind the cultural differences, even without a language barrier, there are differences. Sorry for the life story 😂-J

It’s a bit drastic, but I can sort of understand why they’re doing it. I do wonder if it will deter people though. If they’re already climbing on the roof of a dentist’s to get a good picture, lord only knows what they’ll do when that screen goes up.

I salute the Lawsons store for standing up to the tourists. No one gives a damn about their silly yelp or Google reviews. These fools go home and the locals will view them as heroes for standing their ground. I will ensure that I provide my patronage to them and thank them in Japanese for standing up to these clowns that are ruining a beautiful town. Singapore has it right. Japan please take note.

definitely worth it to visit Japan in Jan-Feb if you can. Sure it will be cold/windy/rainy but you don't be elbow to elbow with other tourists and there's usually a mild warming trend in the middle of February anyway

Why not book a hotel with Mt fuji view, I have will be there in a few weeks time.

In Hawaii, would you take a picture of an ABC store with Diamond Head in the background? The influx of foreign tourists is partly due to certain travel influencers proclaiming, 'You must visit this place in Japan. Wise travelers, however, would seek out more meaningful landscapes to appreciate.

At this stage, Japan's embassies and consulate generals all over the world might need to conduct interviews for visa applications like what Switzerland's consulate general in Sydney did to me when I applied for Schengen visa.

This guy- your weird cousin's Chris Broad...

Instead of investing more in STEM and exports, the central government decided to turn Japan into the world's Disneyland. This, along with the weak Yen is just making life more difficult and expensive for businesses and locals. To me, it seems it will be up to municipal governments to come up with solutions to their particular foreign tourism chaos. I think taking away the view is perfectly fine; remove the attraction and hopefully the tourists will leave.

Just go in and buy a cheese chicken nugget pack like a normal human JEEZ

If the likes of Instagram and Tiktok didn't exist, this nonsense most probably wouldn't happen.

Dude…Kawaguchiko is all about Fujizakura Heights. Reinheitsgebot brews with a view

Ohh btw your tipp getting up early wont do. Everyone giving this advice and people even in kyoto getting up now early and same problem is there😂😂😂

The people that go there are people without originality and just imitate that other do (influencers)

I’m sad to say that on my most recent visit to Japan, I encountered some truly obnoxious and entitled tourists from various countries. But isn’t over-tourism a problem in many countries right now?

I support Japan in its efforts to get tourists to behave like guests and adults who have at least some idea of the culture they are visiting and over tourism is going to have to be managed. Rules need to be enforced until word gets around. Hopefully the yen gets stronger and the predatory " influencers" fall out of favor in the travel experience.

Yeah if tourists being a nuisance it's effecting business of that Lawson store 😮

Was at that Lawson last week for about 5 days because I went during Sakura full bloom at Kawaguchiko area. I filmed law breaking tourists a few times. Should I expose them?? lol

I appreciate you trying to make others aware of the Over-Tourism problem in Japan. But RU-vid (and other online "travel" systems) present Japan as if it is a huge Disney park where the citizens are characters with which you can play. Look to the right of THIS video. It has YOU wearing a hachimaki in a cosplay manner. YOU are as much a part of the problem. To be fair Chris Broad is just as "guilty" in that his videos are intentionally snarky and sarcastic. The culmination of all this "humor" is that viewers outside Japan get the impression such behavior is acceptable IN Japan. Short answer: It's NOT. I would not be surprised if Japan created "Safe Zones" where RU-vidrs etc are not allowed entry. You reap what you sow. (>.