Japanese residents complain about Mount Fuji overtourism again – this time over a scenic bridge

And now it is the turn of the residents of Fuji City to complain – this time over a scenic bridge.

The Fuji Dream Bridge, on Route 139 in Shizuoka prefecture, aligns directly with the outline of Mount Fuji. From some angles, the steps up to the bridge appear to lead towards the mountain peak. While residents have used the bridge for decades without much fuss, it has become a social media hotspot in recent months.

“It all began in December last year when a foreign influencer put images on Instagram,” said Miyu Toyama, an official of the Exchange Tourism Division of the city government. “The image soon spread and now, almost all the people who visit the bridge are foreigners, not Japanese.”

The number of visitors to the bridge has risen to over 100 on an average weekend day, according to city officials’ estimates.

“People even come when it is raining or if Mount Fuji is covered in clouds, which causes problems because they stay longer, hoping that it will clear and that means lots of people can be there at the same time,” Toyama told This Week in Asia. “It is becoming a problem.”

Residents have complained about illegal parking, rubbish left by visitors, loud noise and even people defecating in public. The gate to a local home has also been damaged twice during collisions involving vehicles but there have been no reported injuries.

The city has placed signs in multiple languages in the area, asking visitors not to cause a nuisance and not to run across a busy road by the bridge. Local authorities have built a small car park, which can only hold four vehicles. They are considering building another parking facility.

“The city is getting a lot of complaints,” Toyama said. “People who live there are very angry although the owners of