Meguro River Cherry Blossom Festival Faces Backlash Over Screening Curtain Installation Amid Scenic Concerns

The extreme end of overtourism

The annual cherry blossom festival along the Meguro River reportedly attracts 2.3 million visitors in search of cherry blossoms. This year as well, the event was crowded, with large numbers of people on both March 28 and 29, the opening days of the festival.

However, starting this year, banners marked “No lingering” and “One-way traffic” were installed on both sides of Hinode Bridge, just outside Nakameguro Station, sparking controversy. This is the first time that physical barriers have been installed in a way that deliberately blocks the scenery.

Along the Meguro River during cherry blossom season, overcrowding due to overtourism and littering have long been issues. In addition, on bridges where the rows of cherry trees on both sides of the river can be viewed, crowds of people gather to take photos, obstructing pedestrian traffic. As a countermeasure, these eye-blocking banners were installed—evoking similar cases such as the “Mount Fuji convenience store” spot where views were obscured due to tourist congestion.

What exactly is happening on site? The area was visited on Sunday, the 29th, a perfect cherry-blossom viewing day with temperatures reaching 22°C in central Tokyo.

Upon arriving at Nakameguro Station on the Tokyu Toyoko Line, announcements inside the station already urged: “Please refrain from taking photos from the platform. It interferes with train operations!” Station staff could be heard shouting while guiding passenger flow. Even after exiting the station, police officers and security guards were directing traffic at intersections, showing that many people had indeed come to view the cherry blossoms along the Meguro River.

The “No lingering” and “One-way traffic” rules are installed right after crossing the traffic light from the station, at Hinode Bridge, a famous viewing spot along the river. Additionally, signboards call for compliance with rules such as “Please dispose of trash at the store of purchase,” “Do not make loud noise,” and “Follow one-way traffic.”

Trash dumping also rampant in back alleys

Despite the heavy crowds, operations were running smoothly. Around the problematic Hinode Bridge area, people did not linger and continued flowing steadily. Regarding the one-way traffic rule, many visitors were seen following the instructions of security guards as they walked. Benches were also cordoned off with ropes, making them off-limits, meaning that food and drinks bought at stalls could only be consumed while walking. While this may seem inconvenient, the organizers had prepared designated trash disposal areas, allowing waste from eating and drinking to be discarded immediately.

How do actual visitors feel about these new measures? Speaking to two women taking photos with smartphones, they said, “It’s disappointing, but it can’t be helped.”

“We came hoping to take beautiful cherry blossom photos, but we were surprised to see this situation. Every year during this season, famous hanami spots are extremely crowded, so measures like this are probably unavoidable. Also, since no one is stopping in the middle of the path to take photos, there’s less worry about bumping into people, so I think the no-stopping rule is a good thing.”

While there were positive opinions such as it can’t be helped” and “rules are necessary, there were also critical voices.

A man who photographs the Meguro River area every year expressed frustration, saying the scenery had been damaged:

“I’ve been photographing the cherry blossoms here for years. It’s a beautiful row of trees, and it’s an excellent photo spot. However, with banners saying ‘No lingering’ and ‘One-way traffic,’ it starts to feel like a troubled or unsafe place, and it ruins the atmosphere of what used to be a great shooting location.

If it’s going to end up like this, I feel it would be better to increase the number of security guards instead of putting up banners. Since this is the first attempt, we don’t yet know how effective it is, but I hope they also consider other options that better preserve the scenery.”

Meanwhile, although limited in number, some people were still seen stopping to take photos, and in the back alleys, instances of littering were also observed.

Why were the eye-blocking banners installed?

To understand the intention behind installing the banners, FRIDAY Digital spoke with a representative from Meguro Ward Office, who said they were installed on March 17 for the purpose of ensuring the safety of cherry blossom viewers.

“Roads around the Meguro River are narrow, and if people stop and linger, there is a risk of accidents. In order to protect pedestrian safety, we decided to install banners and rope barriers. We cannot provide numerical data on their effectiveness, but from the ward’s perspective, the installation of rope fencing has at least reduced the number of people entering restricted areas or stopping to take photos,” (Meguro Ward Office)

Regarding the fact that some people still take photos by the roadside despite the no lingering rule, the office commented that cooperation beyond the government is necessary, and that is a challenge for the future.

“When cherry blossom season arrives, a safety countermeasure council including the fire department and police is held to decide on measures. However, vendors who set up stalls for each event are not directly managed by Meguro Ward, so awareness may not be fully shared. We believe that having them also help with announcing the no-lingering rule and managing queues would further improve visitor safety,” (same source)

Every year during cherry blossom season, the Meguro River area becomes extremely crowded with hanami visitors. With the installation of these banners, the area showed a slightly different appearance this year. Such measures appear to be largely accepted by tourists and seem to have some level of effectiveness.

The Meguro River used to be a quiet place where only nearby residents could enjoy the cherry blossoms, but given the current influx of visitors, some level of regulation is likely unavoidable in order for everyone to safely enjoy the scenery.

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