Travel
Overtourism Helps Revive Retro Ghost Town Near Mt. Fuji
It was a shopping center on its last legs. Learn how a “retro” Showa-era location near Mt. Fuji has gone viral – and come back to life.
September 14, 2024
It was a shopping center on its last legs. Learn how a “retro” Showa-era location near Mt. Fuji has gone viral – and come back to life.
Four people have died this year already on Mt. Fuji and even more have needed rescuing. (And the victims don’t appear to be foreign tourists.) The incidents highlight the dangers of tackling the climb unprepared.
One town in Japan put up a giant curtain to deter overtourism at a famous Mt. Fuji tourist spot. But where there’s a will, there’s a way: some people are now literally poking holes in the drape as a workaround.
This is why we can’t have nice things: an influx of tourism is forcing officials to close off an iconic picture spot of Mt. Fuji.
To prevent overtourism, Shizuoka Prefecture wants to charge users of its three Mt. Fuji trailheads. The problem? It doesn’t own them.
Thanks to overtourism, climbing Mt. Fuji is tougher than ever. Here are some less taxing alternative viewing locations.
Mt. Fuji climbing season is about to start – and officials are warning against the dangers of “bullet climbing”.
Subscribe to our free newsletter for a weekly digest of our best work across platforms (Web, Twitter, YouTube). Your support helps us spread the word about the Japan you don’t learn about in anime.
Want a preview? Read our archives
You’ll get one to two emails from us weekly. For more details, see our privacy policy