Overtourism leads to parking fees doubling at popular Mount Fuji viewpoints

Due to a surge in foreign tourists visiting Mount Fuji, Fujiyoshida City in Yamanashi Prefecture will double parking fees at popular tourist spots from April 2025.

This move is part of a broader effort to address the challenges of overtourism and aims to ensure that visitors contribute to the costs associated with accommodating the increased influx.

Arakurayama Sengen Park pagoda — The view of Mt Fuji from Arakurayama Sengen Park’s iconic pagoda

Two key locations will see increased pricing take effect: Arakurayama Sengen Park, renowned for its breathtaking views of Mount Fuji and the iconic red pagoda, and the intersection on Honmachi 2-chome, also known as Honcho Street, where the mountain dramatically frames a retro-style shopping district.

View of Mount Fuji from Honmachi 2-chome in Fujiyoshida City — The view of Mount Fuji from Honmachi 2-chome in Fujiyoshida City

Both sites have become magnets for tourists, particularly those from overseas.

However, this surge in tourism has brought with it significant challenges for local residents.

Parking congestion around Arakurayama Sengen Park, which is located within a residential area, has led to traffic jams and severely disrupted daily life.

Arakurayama Sengen Park parking lot — Existing parking facilities at Arakurayama Sengen Park

Furthermore, at the Honmachi 2-chome intersection, tourists have been engaging in unsafe behavior, such as venturing into traffic to capture the perfect photo.

Littering in most popular locations around the city has also become a growing concern.

To mitigate these issues, the city has invested in measures such as deploying traffic controllers and constructing new public restrooms.

Honcho Street — A traffic controller attempts to keep tourists from straying into the road at the Honmachi 2-chome intersection

However, the costs associated with these measures, estimated at approximately 100 million yen per year (approx. $648,199.50 USD/£519,200 GBP), have placed a considerable burden on the city’s budget.

Parking fees will now be 1,500 yen (approx. $9.67 USD/£7.80 GBP) for six hours for two parking lots close to Arakurayama Sengen Park and 1,000 yen (approx. $6.44 USD/£5.20 GBP) for six hours for two parking lots a little further away.

Fees in the city center, where nuisance behavior such as taking photos on the roadway continues to occur, will be raised to a flat rate of 1,000 yen for up to 12 hours.

By introducing parking fees at these popular tourist spots, the city aims to ensure that visitors contribute to the costs of accommodating their presence and help mitigate the negative impacts of overtourism on local residents.