Yamanashi Pref. City Plans Parking Charge at Park Famous for Mt. Fuji View; Fujiyoshida Govt Tackles Overtourism

The Yomiuri Shimbun

12:32 JST, January 19, 2025

FUJIYOSHIDA, Yamanashi — The city of Fujiyoshida in Yamanashi Prefecture plans to start charging a fee for parking at a park with a view of Mt. Fuji alongside a five-story pagoda from April.

The city aims to ease traffic congestion around Arakurayama Sengen Park as well as help pay the large expenses associated with guiding traffic and cleaning toilets.

“Having many tourists come to the park has a great effect on revitalizing the city. On the other hand, it also causes inconveniences to residents,” Mayor Shigeru Horiuchi said at a regular press conference on Wednesday. He added that “it will cost a lot of money to take a variety of measures” to ensure that tourists enjoy themselves without affecting the lives of locals.

He asked for understanding of the policy, which will be effective from April 1.

According to the city and relevant organizations, a parking fee is being considered at four parking lots with a total capacity of about 200 vehicles, with fees ranging from ¥1,000 to ¥1,500. An extraordinary city council meeting to submit a draft ordinance is planned for next month.

The city is also considering a parking fee for approximately 6 sightseeing buses in the city center, where parking is currently free. According to city officials, ¥3,000-¥5,000 has been proposed for that fee.

In addition to charging for parking, the city is considering introducing an entrance fee at the park itself. However, the mayor said, “There are several entrances [to the park], so it would be difficult to collect the fee.” He also revealed that a proposal to charge a fee to enter an observation deck at the park has been discussed.

Visitors to the park numbered a record 1.51 million last year, a 30% increase from the previous year, according to the city. Even during the winter season, the so-called “off-season for tourism,” many foreign tourists visit the park to take pictures of the snow-capped Mt. Fuji.

However, the area surrounding the park is densely populated with houses, and the narrow and complicated roads there cause traffic jams on a daily basis, resulting in complaints to the city from nearby residents.

In response, the city dispatched traffic guides and took such measures as building two new parking lots to accommodate a total of about 70 vehicles in the surrounding area this fiscal year.

The cost of measures continues to rise every year, with approximately ¥80 million spent in fiscal 2023 on such expenses as hiring park guides and cleaning restrooms.

Calls for the parking charge had been heard throughout the municipality.