A barrier that was erected to block a popular view of Mount Fuji has been taken down after successfully deterring tourists from swarming the area.
Authorities in Yamanashi prefecture installed the barrier in May after growing tired of foreign visitors' littering, bad parking and anti-social behaviour.
The barrier was removed last week - initially in preparation for a typhoon - but officials in the town of Fuji Yamaguchiko confirmed that the mesh screen would remain down for the time being.
However, if tourists return in large numbers the screen will go back up, officials said.
"We wanted to see what would happen," an official told AFP news agency.
"There are still some people who come to the place, but we no longer find many people suddenly rushing out into the traffic to cross the road. We feel like it has been effective," he added.
The barrier blocked a view of a Lawson convenience store in the foreground with Japan's most iconic landmark rising behind it.
The contrast between one of Japan's most ubiquitous shops and the soaring volcano made it an especially popular photo spot for visitors looking to capture the "perfect Japanese" photograph.
But seeing their local convenience store - popularly referred to online as "Mount Fuji Lawson" - become a viral internet sensation was an unwelcome development for the inhabitants of Fujikawaguchiko, especially in a year when Japan experienced record levels of tourism.
“They cross the street and they don’t seem to care about the cars at all, it is dangerous. And they leave trash and cigarette butts everywhere," said one local resident speaking to the OceanNewsUK in May.
In July, Japan saw a record 3.29 million tourists - with as many as 35 million foreign tourists expected in 2024.
The problem of overtourism is not unique to Mount Fuji alone. In Kyoto, the popular geisha tourist district of Gion earlier this year banned tourists from entering its alleyways in an attempt to stamp out unruly tourists.
