Recently, earlier in 2024, a Lawson convenience store located in Kawaguchiko became a central point of discussion regarding overtourism when local officials erected a 20-meter-wide photo barrier in front of the store. The Lawson experienced an influx of visitors daily, all eager to capture images of its contemporary blue exterior set against the breathtaking backdrop of Japan’s tallest mountain, Mt. Fuji. This surge in tourism unfortunately resulted in significant issues, including littering, obstruction of pedestrian pathways, and illegal parking, as individuals sought to obtain picturesque photographs. Authorities put up a black net barrier to prevent tourist from taking photos and this seemed to have worked for awhile, (even thought the barrier has been removed in August 2024 in preparation for typhoon season).
But eagle-eyed tourists have found a replacement for their photo opportunity – a spot in front of yet another Lawson store about 1km away – and the authorities might soon have to put up another mesh sheet.
Personally, I think this 2nd location is even more beautiful than the first.
Unfortunately, it has become another spot swarmed by tourists. Worst still, tour companies have been offering bus trips and photo stops on their trips to this place because the carpark is slightly bigger than the previous location.
This photo was done shortly after I photographed the first location, at about 7am on a cold winter morning.
Again, despite the throngs of tourists around in the afternoons, the place is nicely empty at dawn/ early morning, when this picture was taken.
I think people need to realise that it is not possible to get perfect views of Mount Fuji like this in 2/3rds of the year because it is often covered by clouds.
Even on a clear day, it is useless to visit this place on a bright sunny afternoon because the direction of the sunlight works against you. Weather reports illustrate that the best opportunities are during winter, making it the prime Fuji spotting season. And December offers the best chance to see Mount Fuji, with a 68% likelihood of the entire mountain being visible.
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