ONLINE BOOKINGS
Record numbers of overseas tourists are coming to Japan, where monthly visitors exceeded three million for the first time in March and then again in April.
But as in other tourist hotspots, such as Venice – which recently launched a trial of entry fees for day visitors – the influx has not been universally welcomed.
In Japan’s ancient capital of Kyoto, locals have complained of tourists harassing the city’s famed geisha.
And hikers using the most popular route to climb Mount Fuji this summer will be charged ¥2,000 (US$13) each, with entries capped at 4,000 to ease congestion.
A new online booking system for the mountain’s Yoshida trail opened on Monday to guarantee hikers entry through a new gate, although 1,000 places a day will be kept for day-of entries.
Mount Fuji is covered in snow most of the year, but during the July-September hiking season more than 220,000 visitors trudge up its steep, rocky slopes.
Many climb through the night to see the sunrise, and some attempt to reach the 3,776m summit without breaks and become sick or injured as a result.
Regional officials have raised safety and environmental concerns linked to overcrowding on the active volcano, a symbol of Japan and a once-peaceful pilgrimage site.
Residents near other popular photo spots in the region, including the so-called Fuji Dream Bridge, have also reportedly complained about overtourism in recent weeks.
One tour operator which offers day trips from Tokyo to the Mount Fuji area told AFP they are taking visitors to another Lawson store nearby where a similar view can be seen, but there are fewer nearby residents.
