Mt. Fuji Convenience Store Screen Removed Before Typhoon; Barrier May Go Up Again If Tourist Overcrowding Recurs

The Yomiuri Shimbun

15:23 JST, August 20, 2024

FUJI-KAWAGUCHIKO, Yamanashi — A screen that blocked a popular view of Mt. Fuji juxtaposed with a convenience store was removed by authorities in Fuji-Kawaguchiko, Yamanashi Prefecture, on Thursday due to the approach of Typhoon Ampil.

Tourists had previously flocked to the spot where Mt. Fuji could be viewed as if it were perched atop a Lawson convenience store, crowding the street. The town set up a 20-meter-wide, 2.5-meter-high screen across the street from the store, which has contributed to a decline in the number of tourists taking photos and crossing the street. However, the town removed the screen on Thursday when Typhoon Ampil approached the region.

A representative for the town said, “We’d like to continue observing the situation as it unfolds following the screen’s removal.” The poles and wires that supported the screen remain in place, the town plans to reinstall the screen if the situation worsens again. Security guards will also continue to be on alert.

Holes had been made in the screen, presumably for taking pictures, prompting the town to replace it with a brown screen with a finer mesh in July.