Japanese town quietly removes its Mount Fuji-blocking barrier

CNN —

A small town in Japan that received international attention for its controversial decision to block views of Mount Fuji has quietly reversed its decision.

Fujikawaguchiko, at the base of Mount Fuji, became popular for a specific photo op where the mountain could be seen behind an outpost of the Lawson’s convenience store chain on the town’s main street.

When the photo spot became popular on Instagram and TikTok, the town was overwhelmed with tourists coming from around the world. According to some of the town’s residents, the visitors would leave behind trash and not follow traffic rules, despite the presence of signs and security guards.

In May, Fujikawaguchiko erected a large black net, effectively blocking the view of Mount Fuji. On August 15, though, city officials quietly had it taken down – possibly for good.

Initially, the plan was to take the net down temporarily due to strong winds in the area. But now Fujikawaguchiko officials say there’s no timeline to put the barrier back up.

“Since we installed the screen in May, there have been no more people staying long in the area. We do feel it has been effective,” a city councilor told CNN.

In this 2018 picture, a tourist feeds a deer at Nara Park.

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The councilor added that there are still security guards patrolling the area and that the net can be put back up if the situation changes.

Before the net was installed, the Lawson’s photo op area was so busy that the store issued a formal apology for being too popular.

Meanwhile, a resident of the building next door to Lawson’s told CNN that “there was a series of nuisance illegal activities such as