Overview
- Officials ended the decade-old Arakurayama Sengen Park event after reporting trespassing, public defecation, and harassment of residents.
- Parents told the city that crowds on narrow school routes have pushed children off sidewalks, prompting safety warnings.
- The festival typically drew about 200,000 visitors a year, with peak days exceeding 10,000 at the park’s signature pagoda-and–Mount Fuji photo spot.
- Authorities removed the festival name from official promotion but anticipate large numbers of visitors despite the cancellation.
- Local statements and coverage linked surging crowds to a weak yen and viral social media, with Japan setting a record 42.7 million tourist arrivals in 2025.