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Japanese city cancels cherry blossom festival launched to lure tourists – as it’s too successful | World News
A Japanese city has cancelled its famous cherry blossom festival, citing concerns over high tourist numbers.
Fujiyoshida, about 62 miles (100km) west of Tokyo, has cancelled its annual Arakurayama Sengen Park Sakura Festival after a decade, according to local media.
The festival normally runs in early April to coincide with the blooming of the city’s iconic pink cherry blossoms.
But Fujiyoshida mayor Shigeru Horiuchi has announced the festival will not run this year to “protect the living conditions and dignity of all of our city’s residents”.
A vantage point in Arakurayama Sengen Park has gained popularity on social media sites like Instagram due to the stunning view of a snow-capped Mount Fuji.
“For the city of Fujiyoshida, Mount Fuji is not just a mere tourism resource, but a part of our lifestyle,” the mayor said, according to news outlet Japan Today.
“However, the flipside of that beautiful scenery is that our residents’ peaceful lifestyles are being threatened, and I strongly feel that this has become a crisis situation.
“My first priority is to protect the living conditions and dignity of all of our city’s residents. For that purpose, we have made the decision, after 10 years, to bring the Sakura Festival to an end.”
The view from Arakurayama Sengen Park has become a big draw for tourists. Pic: AP
Fujiyoshida launched the festival 10 years ago in order to draw more tourists to the city, Japan Today reports, but the festival has since gained too much popularity.
Residents have complained about increased traffic congestion, littered cigarette butts and tourists trespassing on private property – or even urinating or defecating in residents’ gardens.
Japan has seen the number of tourists soar to more than 39 million in 2025, an increase from almost 37 million in 2024, according to figures from the Japan National Tourism Organisation.
The spike was propelled in part by the favourable currency conversion available to tourists because of the weakening of the Japanese yen.
Many cities in Japan have experienced overtourism as the country’s popularity as a destination soars. Pic: AP
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Fujiyoshida has acknowledged that cancelling the festival will likely not be enough to deter crowds of tourists visiting the park that usually hosts the festival during spring.
The lines of visitors looking to snap a picture in front of a five story pagoda and cheery blossom trees against the backdrop of Mount Fuji can often snake down the hill, images on social media show.
Nearby towns have in the past erected a view-blocking barrier to deter tourists, introduced an entry fee for hikers and capped their daily numbers, according to The Japan Times.