Overtourism is becoming increasingly serious in municipalities at the foot of Mount Fuji, which was finally capped with snow this year. Many foreign tourists flock to the area, trying to take photos of the spectacular scenery. Traffic jams and trash have also gotten worse, and local governments are working on countermeasures, but in the absence of radical solutions, officials are seriously frustrated.

On Monday morning, a 54-year-old Indian tourist was in Arakurayama Sengen Park in Fujiyoshida, Yamanashi Prefecture, enthusiastically taking photos with her smartphone. She said she felt very lucky to be able to see the beauty of snow-capped Mount Fuji and that it was what she had hoped for when she made her first visit to Japan.

The park has become popular for its panoramic view of Mount Fuji and the five-story pagoda. Although the fall foliage season was over, the viewing platform was overflowing with tourists taking photos, making it difficult to get around.

The park, located in a quiet residential area, was once a place for residents to relax. But the spectacular view has become a hot topic on social media, leading to an influx of tourists. In addition to littering and trespassing on private property, the park is plagued by chronic traffic jams, regardless of the day or time.

The total number of visitors to the park between April and the end of November this year reached a record 1.02 million, including 147,151 in November, an increase of 10,000 from the same month last year and a record for this month. If the number of visitors continues to increase at the current rate, it is expected to exceed the previous financial year’s total of 1.3 million. In December, the city plans to allocate about 19 million yen in a supplemental budget plan to recruit more traffic police.

Additionally, a total of eight parking lots, including temporary ones, were opened in the surrounding area, but no improvement was seen. A city official says it’s difficult to find a fundamental solution.