“Great Wall of Japan”: Why is the town of Fuji erecting an eight-foot-tall wall?

The Japanese village of Fujikawaguchiko, located at the base of the renowned Mount Fuji, has seen a worsening of the situation despite repeated warnings to tourists through signs and the deployment of security officers, CNN said on Saturday. This has forced the authorities to take drastic steps.

Officials in Japan’s Fuji town are not pleased with the acts, claiming that they are against Japanese culture and customs, and cite ongoing issues with visitors who disregard traffic laws and litter the area.

The net, which is 66 feet (20 meters) broad and 8 feet (2.5 meters) high, will be assembled early next week.

Located around 62 miles (100 kilometers) west of Tokyo and to the north of Mount Fuji, Fujikawaguchiko has been seeing an uncharacteristic flood of rude tourists, contributing to the country’s rising overtourism problem.

Since the nation reopened in late 2022 following the epidemic, tourism has grown rapidly. In March 2024, over three million international visitors arrived, setting a new record.

A large percentage of tourists are drawn to Mount Fuji, a UNESCO World Heritage site and a symbol of Japan. These tourists frequently litter the paths, causing pollution in the region.

“The largest issue facing Mount Fuji is overtourism—and all the fallout that entails, like trash, increased CO2 emissions, and careless hikers,” Masatake Izumi, a government representative for Yamanashi prefecture, told CNN Travel.

At 3,776 meters (12,388 ft) in height, the mountain known as Fuji-san in Japanese has earned the moniker “trash mountain” from certain locals.