Japanese town sours on crowds coming to see cherry blossoms, Mount Fuji

Social media was soon awash with the lovely view of Japan's snow-capped Mount Fuji looming over a red pagoda and the short-lived cherry blossoms that herald the approach of spring.



Tourists wanting a similar shot soon packed this peaceful town at the foot of the mountain.



The complaints were not far behind: Chronic traffic jams, piles of litter, ill-mannered foreigners knocking on doors of private homes to borrow toilets, tourists relieving themselves in front yards.



It got so bad that officials in Fujiyoshida announced in February that they were cancelling this year’s annual cherry blossom festival, which started as a way to promote tourism a decade ago.



What locals are calling “tourism pollution” has illuminated a broader problem for Japan:



As the country's economic malaise deepens, officials are eager for the economic boost of increased tourism, even as local communities find themselves entirely unprepared for what a small army of foreign visitors means for their communities.