US EditionOvertourism Forces the Cancellation of a Popular Japanese Cherry Blossom Festival
Fujiyoshida canceled the Sakura Matsuri due to overtourism that drew about 200,000 visitors yearly, severely impacting local infrastructure and residents' daily lives.
- On February 3, 2026, the City of Fujiyoshida cancelled the Sakura Matsuri, citing overtourism strain, and said `Going forward, we will build appropriate systems so that residents can live with pride and warmly welcome visitors from around the world`.
- Amid rising inbound tourism driven by a weak yen and social-media exposure, the city said municipal officials cited overtourism straining infrastructure and influencing early cancellation.
- Data show more than 10,000 visitors per day at peak, with 161,182 counted by April 14, 2025, prompting crowd-control measures including parking and personnel deployments.
- Municipal officials said overtourism pushed Fujiyoshida beyond capacity, impacting residents' daily lives, and the city emphasized building systems so residents can live with pride and welcome visitors.
- Fujiyoshida's Roads and Parks Division asked media outlets to refrain from overly praising the scenery, planning personnel deployments on April 29 and 30, and keeping roughly 30 staff through May 6.
21 Articles
21 Articles
InsideNoVA.com
Overtourism Forces the Cancellation of a Popular Japanese Cherry Blossom Festival
The city of Fujiyoshida cancelled its iconic spring cherry blossom festival at Arakurayama Sengen Park on February 3, 2026, about eight weeks ahead of its usual April schedule. Municipal officials cited overtourism as the reason that has strained local infrastructure…
Overtourism Ends an Era: Japan cancels iconic Cherry Blossom Festival at Arakurayama Sengen Park
In a major blow to global travel, Japan has officially canceled the annual Cherry Blossom Festival at Arakurayama Sengen Park for 2026, citing extreme overtourism. Once a viral Instagram staple, the site faced chronic congestion and resident complaints regarding trespassing and litter.
The city of Fujiyoshida, located at the northern foot of Mount Fuji, has canceled this year's traditional cherry blossom festival, citing a large influx of tourists who are behaving inappropriately and causing inconvenience to local residents. And it's not the only Japanese city to turn away tourists.
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