Introduction

A branch of the convenience store chain Lawson in the town of Fujikawaguchiko became internationally famous for one specific

photo: Mount Fuji appearing to rise directly behind the store roof. We reviewed a recent travel vlog covering a visit to this exact spot, and given that the vlog described a major change as imminent, we checked the actual, documented history of what's happened here — because this is a genuinely fast-moving situation, not a single fixed fact.

Why the Spot Became a Problem

The image went viral in 2022, and once Japan lifted its COVID-era border restrictions in 2023, visitor numbers at this specific, narrow roadside spot became genuinely unmanageable. Tourists jaywalked across a working road, set up tripods in traffic, blocked the entrance to a dentist's clinic directly across the street trying to get a clean shot, and generally created enough disruption that local residents and businesses raised the issue with the town government.

The Actual Timeline, Not a Single Snapshot

This is worth tracking carefully rather than treating any one report as the final state:

• May 2024: Fujikawaguchiko authorities installed a large black mesh screen, about 2.5 meters tall and 20 meters wide, directly blocking the photo angle.
• Shortly after: visitors began cutting and poking holes through the mesh to keep taking the photo anyway.
• July 2024: the barrier was reinforced with stronger material to resist tampering.
• At some point after that: the barrier was removed.
• August 7, 2025: a new, shorter barrier — around 1.4 meters tall — was installed. Unlike the original screen, this one is designed primarily to stop people physically crossing into the road rather than to fully block the photo; visitors can reportedly still get the shot, just with more restriction on where they can stand to do it.

Local reporting as of the most recent update we found suggests visitor behavior at the site has genuinely improved over the past year or so, though officials remain cautious about the situation escalating again. Given how much this has already changed in under two years, treat any specific claim about the current barrier — including this one — as a snapshot that may be outdated by the time you actually visit, and check recent local reporting close to your travel dates rather than relying on any single account, including the one that prompted this article.

Practical Tips

• If the photo itself is your priority, have a backup plan — the exact viewing conditions here have changed multiple times in a short period and may change again.

• Whatever the barrier situation is when you visit, do not jaywalk, block the road, or obstruct the neighboring businesses to get the shot — this is precisely the behavior that caused the restrictions in the first place, and it affects real residents' daily lives, not just tourists' photo opportunities.

• Consider alternative Fuji-and-foreground viewpoints in the area, such as Chureito Pagoda or Honcho Street (see our other Fuji Five Lakes guides), which don't carry the same access restrictions or crowding pressure.

Sources and Verification Notes

The full barrier timeline (May 2024 installation, tampering and reinforcement, removal, and the August 2025 shorter replacement) was checked against contemporary news reporting rather than taken from the source vlog's claim of an imminent, permanent, view-blocking wall — the documented trajectory is actually toward a less obstructive barrier over time, not a more permanent one, though this situation has changed before and could change again.