People won’t stop poking holes in the current one, so city is considering a stronger, nicer-looking replacement.

Recently, Fujikawaguchiko, Yamanashi Prefecture proved to be a little too picturesque for its own good as one of the town’s Lawson convenience stores became an unexpected mecca for foreign tourists. When viewed from the right angle, Mt. Fuji appears to rise from the roof of the shop, and enough photo-snapping visitors from overseas had begun littering, jaywalking, and crowding the sidewalk and entranceway of a dental clinic across the street that Fujikawaguchiko felt forced to take action, putting up a 20-meter (65.6-foot) wide, 2.5-meter tall high black screen between the clinic-side sidewalk and the street in order to block the view of the mountain.

The screen was installed on May 21, but sadly it only took a day for people to start poking or cutting holes in it. Though the city has been patching them, new ones have continued appearing on a daily basis, and so now the city is considering removing the current screen entirely and replacing it with a new one made of stronger material.

Mayor Hideyuki Watanabe says that since the screen’s installation, the situation at the site has improved, with fewer tourists congregating in the area. However, he described the opening of holes as “A disappointing lack of morals.”

The current screen is made of a fibrous mesh, and according to Watanabe, the holes appear to have been made by people using either their fingers or craft knives, though it seems like keys would also be able to cut through the mesh. Ostensibly, whatever material the screen would be replaced with would be sturdy enough to stand up to such tools.

In addition to the screen’s durability, Watanabe would like to improve its aesthetics as well. “The black screen doesn’t look good,” he said, and it really does look sort of oppressive and jarring. For the new screen, the city is considering a brighter color, such as blue, green, silver, or brown, and while that certainly would look a little cheerier, it also feels like a sign that the screen is going to be kept in place for quite a while, and isn’t just a short-term measure.

Source: Yomiuri Shimbun, Sankei Shimbun
Photos ©SoraNews24
● Want to hear about SoraNews24’s latest articles as soon as they’re published? Follow us on Facebook and Twitter!