The world-famous cherry blossom festival in Arakurayama-Sengen Park at the foot of Mount Fuji in Japan will not take place in 2026.Image: EPA
In the “Land of Smiles” people stop laughing. The tourist hotspots are overcrowded. A small town is now taking a radical step.
Feb 20, 2026, 3:23 p.mFeb 20, 2026, 3:24 p.m
Dorothea Meadows / t-online
The world-famous cherry blossom festival in Arakurayama-Sengen Park at the foot of Mount Fuji in Japan will not take place in 2026. This was announced by the Fujiyoshida city government. The decision was made due to increasing overtourism. The municipality can no longer cope with the number of visitors. “We feel a strong sense of crisis,” the city’s mayor told reporters.
Despite measures to direct visitors and additional controls last year, the enormous number of travelers put too much strain on the infrastructure, traffic and everyday life in the city of 50,000 residents. Japanese media also report huge amounts of rubbish that the municipality has to clear up. During the height of the cherry blossom season at the beginning of April, around 200,000 people came to the park.
The cherry blossom festival is one of the most famous festivals in Japan and offers a popular photo opportunity in Fujiyoshida: the park’s five-story pagoda in front of the snow-capped Mount Fuji, framed by pink cherry blossoms. Typically, the sakura season (in English: cherry blossom season) in Japan lasts from the end of March to the beginning of May. In Tokyo and Kyoto, blooms usually peak in early April, while in more northern regions such as Aomori and Hokkaido, blooms can extend into late April or even May.
What is overtourism?
Overtourism or overtourism describes the overloading of travel destinations due to excessive visitor numbers, which reduces the quality of life of locals and damages the environment and infrastructure. It is a negative manifestation of mass tourism that leads to overcrowded cities, a reduction in the supply of housing and a loss of local authenticity.
Fujiyoshida is not alone in his radical decision against the festival. In Japan, more and more places are taking action against mass tourism and overcrowding, for example by closing particularly popular photo spots or reducing the number of large events. In the capital Tokyo, the Shibuya district has taken strict measures against overcrowded events and gatherings of people, for example by restricting public Halloween and New Year’s Eve celebrations at the famous Shibuya Crossing and introducing a year-round ban on alcohol on public streets.
It’s hardly surprising that the locals are taking action. In 2025, Japan recorded a historic tourism record with around 42.7 million foreign visitors. This figure significantly exceeded previous highs and was boosted by a weak yen and strong interest in the “Land of Smiles”.