Mount Fuji photo spot to install new fences to curb jaywalking

KOFU, Japan (Kyodo) — A city in central Japan plans to erect new fences along a road in front of a Lawson convenience store with a panoramic view of Mount Fuji, local authorities said Friday, with the aim of to prevent people from mixing in traffic. the place popular with foreign tourists.

The Fujikawaguchiko site in Yamanashi Prefecture was flooded with visitors eager to photograph the famous mountain as if it were perched above the store. This development prompted the municipality to take preventive measures.

The new fences, scheduled to be installed in December, will be the first on the convenience store side of the road. Their introduction is due to a significant increase in jaywalking, the city said.

Each measuring approximately 3 meters long and 80 centimeters high, the two fences are intended to encourage pedestrians to cross the road via a designated crosswalk. The town hall plans to paint the pedestrian crossing green and white to make it more visible.

A similar barrier intended to prevent entry onto the road was extended to span 25 meters of road in front of the convenience store in October.

In May, amid concerns about inappropriate behavior and loitering at the site, local authorities temporarily installed a black screen across the road to block the view. It was removed in August as a safety precaution before an approaching typhoon.

Mayor Hideyuki Watanabe said Friday that there are currently no plans to reinstall the black screen.