Tourists travelling to Japan for its iconic cherry blossom season in March will have one less spot to stake out spots at, with the cancellation of a popular sakura festival at Fujiyoshida.
The town, which sits near Japan’s iconic Mount Fuji, is home to about 44,000 people. However, a weakened yen paired with the instantly Instagrammable landscape has boosted the festival’s visitor numbers – with over 10,000 passing through daily, and 200,000 across the weeks during peak spring season.
City officials have received complaints from the community, especially of trespassing tourists who have wandered into homes to use bathrooms, ignored signages and interrupted local life.
While the festival has been cancelled, the cherry blossoms will still bloom – and Fujiyoshida officials have set up plans to boost security, enlarge parking places, install portable toilets and other crowd control measures.
The country has long made known its frustration with overtourism, and 2026 looks like the year authorities will step in with their most aggressive interventions yet – such as a tax-free shopping reform and increased accommodation costs.
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