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The Yomiuri Shimbun Tourists take photos at the observation deck of Arakurayama Sengen Park in Fujiyoshida, Yamanashi Prefecture, in April.
By Toya Wakui / Yomiuri Shimbun Staff Writer
14:15 JST, April 17, 2025
FUJIYOSHIDA, Yamanashi — In a rare move, the Fujiyoshida city government in Yamanashi Prefecture has recently asked the media to refrain from covering Arakurayama Sengen Park, where visitors can view both Mt. Fuji and a five-story pagoda, in order to avoid congestion.
Starting this month, the city has been holding the Cherry Blossom Festival at the park, attracting many foreign visitors who wish to see the cherry blossoms, Mt. Fuji and the pagoda. The city’s measures to deal with traffic jams and other issues isn’t sufficient for the unstoppable flow of people, pushing city officials to their limit.
On April 11 at the park, which was crowded with foreign tourists and others, a tourist from Australia, 28, smiled as she snapped photos of the view of Mt. Fuji, cherry blossoms and the five-story pagoda. This combination is famous outside Japan as it is quintessential Japanese scenery, she said.
According to the city government, the cherry blossoms at the park were featured in a travel guide in 2015, attracting worldwide attention through social media and other media. The number of visitors especially increases when the cherry blossoms are at their peak.
The Yomiuri Shimbun People line up for the observation deck of Arakurayama Sengen Park in Fujiyoshida, Yamanashi Prefecture, on April 11.
It is already necessary to deal with traffic jams during the off-season. However, April has longer lines than usual of cars and tourist buses on roads used by local residents due to increased passenger cars and tourist buses.
Interestingly, the Cherry Blossom Festival was started with the specific purpose of easing traffic congestion in 2016. During the event, the city can limit road usage to prevent accidents and lessen traffic, with permission from the head of the local police station.
A city official recalls, “We thought this was an initiative that would not only revitalize the community, but also alleviate traffic congestion and control visitors.”
The Yomiuri Shimbun A security guard asks a driver to wait in Fujiyoshida, Yamanashi Prefecture, on April 11.
In addition to the restrictions, the city has taken measures such as increasing the number of security guards to about 50, which is three or four times the normal number.
However, visitors to the festival have been increasing beyond the city’s capacity. The first festival in 2016 attracted about 60,000 people, but last year, more than 270,000 came. At a regular press conference on April 10, Mayor Shigeru Horiuchi said, “The truth is that there is nothing much we can do to prevent it,” and “There is a limit as to what we can do as a city.”
The city asked media to refrain from filming or photographing inside the observation deck and reporting on the condition of the cherry blossoms’ in order to avoid a rush of tourists to the park. This is the first time the city made such a request, according to a city official. Its tourism website has a statement: “This year, we will decline all media coverage to avoid crowds and traffic congestion and to ensure safety.”
The city is concerned that the same situation will occur during the Golden Week holiday period in May and the autumn foliage season. The Cherry Blossom Festival will last until Friday, and once the festival is over, the city will no longer be able to restrict traffic on roads used for daily life, so the city will have to rely on the honor system again.
“When there are no restrictions, cars try to enter right next to the park, causing constant traffic jams and collisions on narrow roads,” said a man in his 70s who lives nearby. “Additional measures may be necessary, such as making some roads one-way only.”
To maintain a certain level of order even during the off-season, the city has switched to charging to park at four city-run lots in the area and is considering charging for the observation deck at the park, but the effect is unclear. The city began allocating about 15 security guards to deal with worsening traffic behavior and littering and earmarks more than ¥100 million a year to handle these issues and other ones such as keeping toilets clean.
“It is difficult for the city alone to deal with the situation,” said a city official arranging the Cherry Blossom Festival. “We would like to see the prefectural and national governments get serious about taking countermeasures, such as adding English to road signs and making visitors aware of overtourism when they enter Japan.”
