Mt. Fuji photo spot to get new fences to curb jaywalking

A central Japan town plans to put up new fences along a road in front of a Lawson convenience store offering scenic views of Mt. Fuji, local authorities said Friday, aiming to prevent people from stepping into traffic at the spot popular among foreign tourists.

The site in Fujikawaguchiko, Yamanashi Prefecture, has been inundated with visitors looking to photograph the famous mountain as if perched above the store. The development has prompted the town's government to take preventative measures.

The new fences, scheduled to be installed in December, will be the first on the convenience store side of the road. Their introduction is due to a significant increase in jaywalking, the town said.

Each measuring around 3 meters long and 80 centimeters high, the two fences are intended to encourage pedestrians to cross the road via a designated crosswalk. The town office is considering painting the crosswalk green and white to make it more noticeable.

A similar barrier to prevent entries into the road was expanded to span 25 meters of roadside opposite the convenience store in October.

In May, amid concerns of misbehavior and loitering at the site, local authorities temporarily installed a black screen on the opposite side of the road to block the view. It was removed in August as a safety precaution ahead of an approaching typhoon.

Mayor Hideyuki Watanabe said Friday there are currently no plans to reinstall the black screen.

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