Japan city cancels cherry blossom festival due to bad tourist behaviour like defecating in private gardens

Authorities in Fujiyoshida, a city in Japan’s Yamanashi Prefecture known for its postcard-famous views of Mount Fuji framed by cherry blossoms surrounding a tall pagoda, have cancelled their annual spring festival after residents raised concerns over overcrowding and tourist behaviour.

The decision reflects mounting pressure on local communities across Japan, as record visitor numbers, fuelled by the weak yen and social media-driven travel, strain infrastructure and disrupt daily life.

Festival called off after 10 years

On Tuesday (Feb. 3), The Japan Times reported that Fujiyoshida city officials announced that the Arakurayama Sengen Park Cherry Blossom Festival will not go ahead this year, ending a decade-long tradition that typically attracts around 200,000 visitors each spring.

The park has become one of Japan’s most photographed locations, offering a view of cherry blossoms blooming around a five-storey pagoda, with Mount Fuji rising in the background.

During peak season, tourists have been known to queue for hours just to reach the main photo spot.

In 2025, the city had already tried to control visitor numbers by asking media outlets to refrain from covering the park’s cherry blossoms.

However, officials said the growing influx of visitors has reached an unsustainable level.

Nuisance tourists

The city said it has struggled to manage crowds, which can exceed 10,000 people a day during the height of the cherry blossom season, and disruptive incidents are becoming increasingly common.

Among the issues highlighted were reports of tourists trespassing into private homes to use toilets, defecating in residents’ gardens, and causing disturbances when confronted, reported The Japan Times.

Parents have also raised safety concerns, as children have reportedly been pushed aside by visitors crowding narrow pavements while on the way to school, according to Kyodo News.

Fujiyoshida Mayor Shigeru Horiuchi, as reported by Kyodo News, warned that Mount Fuji should not be viewed solely as a tourist attraction.

"I feel a deep sense of crisis as I witness the reality that, behind this beautiful scenery, the quiet lives of our citizens are being threatened."

The cancellation comes as Japan experiences an unprecedented tourism boom.

A record 42.7 million tourists visited Japan in 2025, surpassing the previous year’s high of nearly 37 million, The Japan Times wrote.

The weak yen has made Japan more affordable for overseas travellers, while viral social media content has turned scenic spots like Arakurayama Sengen Park into “bucket list” destinations.

Tourist misbehaviour not a new phenomenon

There have also been complaints of overcrowding complaints in other tourist hotspots, including Kyoto, where tourists have been accused of harassing geisha performers in pursuit of photographs.

Concerns about disrespectful behaviour at cherry blossom sites have also surfaced repeatedly in recent years.

A viral TikTok video in 2025 showed a Taiwanese tourist shaking a cherry blossom tree so petals would fall around her as she posed for photos, drawing criticism online for damaging the trees in pursuit of the perfect shot.

@mothershipsg STOP SHAKING THE TREES 😤 #sakura #japan #cherryblossom ♬ Sad - Sad Waves

Festival cancelled, but visitors still expected

Despite scrapping the official event, Fujiyoshida officials acknowledge that tourists will likely continue flocking to the area when cherry blossoms bloom in April.

According to The Japan Times, the city says it will step up security measures, provide temporary parking, and install portable toilets to ease congestion.

Local residents, however, remain concerned about future holiday periods such as Golden Week, which is a collection of four national holidays within seven days, and the autumn foliage season, when similar crowd surges are expected.

Top image via kyoko1903/Instagram and hinomotobito/YouTube