Japanese officials have placed a large mesh screen to block the view of Mt. Fuji in order to protect the town’s way of life from a flood of tourists.

The town of Fuji Kawaguchiko has plenty of scenic vistas where tourists can view Japan’s most iconic mountain from up close. However, many of these places aren’t built for tourists and year-round residents of Fuji Kawaguchiko have been experiencing hardship due to gawking tourists.

The new screen is being placed in locations where residents frequent, since even innocuous places in the town can have breathtaking views of Fuji. The most famous example is a typical Lawson convenience store set against the backdrop of the mountain.

Image: BBC

Residents seem to feel that the screen is their last resort against rude tourists who leave trash and cigarette butts laying around in a town that isn’t prepared for that sort of traffic.

There’s plenty more to do in Japan than look at Mt. Fuji, and it’s a shame that tourists were unable to be respectful of the residents such that they felt this was their only option.