Last Updated on February 20, 2026 3:36 pm by INDIAN AWAAZ
WEB DESK
A Japanese cherry blossom festival near Mount Fuji has been cancelled after officials cited a rise in disruptive tourist behaviour. Officials in the central Japanese city of Fujiyoshida announced that they would no longer host the Arakurayama Sengen park cherry blossom festival this year. The week-long event is being organised for the past decade and attracts lakhs of tourists annually. Addressing the cancellation, Fujiyoshida mayor Shigeru Horiuchi said behind Mount Fuji’s beautiful landscape is the reality that the quiet lives of citizens are threatened. He said, they have a strong sense of crisis. The residents complained of littering, trespassing and even the tourists wandering into private homes. Last year, Japan welcomed nearly 43 million visitors, its highest number ever.