To fend off tourists, a town in Japan is building a big screen blocking the view of Mount Fuji

By AYAKA MCGILL and MARI YAMAGUCHI
Associated Press

FUJIKAWAGUCHIKO, Japan (AP) — The Japanese town of Fujikawaguchiko has had enough of tourists. Known for a number of scenic photo spots that offer a near-perfect shot of iconic Mount Fuji, the town on Tuesday began constructing a large black screen on a stretch of a sidewalk to block the view of the mountain. The reason: misbehaving foreign tourists. Locals complain about littering, people crossing the road with busy traffic, ignoring traffic lights, trespassing into private properties. Officials say the black mesh net, when completed in mid-May, will be 8.2 feet high and 65.6 feet long, and will almost completely block the view of Mount Fuji.