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The screen set up to block tourist snapshots of Mount Fuji has several holes in it

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The screen set up to block tourist snapshots of Mount Fuji has several holes in it
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ENT

The screen set up to block tourist snapshots of Mount Fuji has several holes in it

2024-05-29 10:55 Last Updated At:11:00

TOKYO (AP) — A Japanese town that erected a huge black screen last week in an attempt to stop tourists from snapping photos of Mount Fuji and overcrowding the area has discovered holes in the screen and is working to repair them, officials said Tuesday.

Fujikawaguchiko, a popular spot to view and photograph the iconic mountain, put up the screen last Tuesday, but the next day officials discovered a hole in it. By Tuesday morning, officials had found around 10 similar holes, all at eye level, and all apparently just the right size to fit a camera lens through.

One especially popular viewing location is outside a Lawson convenience store, from where photos taken at a certain angle would make it look as if Mount Fuji was sitting atop the store roof.

Local residents have complained about visitors blocking the narrow sidewalk and walking into the busy road or onto neighboring properties to get their shots, officials said.

The town spent 1.3 million yen ($8,285) to install the 2.5-meter (8.2-feet) -high black mesh net that stretches 20 meters (66 feet), and additional fences along the sidewalk.

The screen has helped ease congestion in the area, officials said.

Over-tourism has also become a growing issue at other popular tourist destinations such as Kyoto and Kamakura.

A visitor tries to take a photo through a hole on a black screen installed across from a convenience store in Fujikawaguchiko town, Yamanashi prefecture, central Japan on May 24, 2024. The town that erected the huge black screen last week in an attempt to stop tourists from snapping photos of Mount Fuji and overcrowding the area has discovered holes in the screen and is working to repair them, officials said Tuesday, May 28. (Kyodo News via AP)

A visitor tries to take a photo through a hole on a black screen installed across from a convenience store in Fujikawaguchiko town, Yamanashi prefecture, central Japan on May 24, 2024. The town that erected the huge black screen last week in an attempt to stop tourists from snapping photos of Mount Fuji and overcrowding the area has discovered holes in the screen and is working to repair them, officials said Tuesday, May 28. (Kyodo News via AP)

Mt. Fuji is seen through a hole on a black screen installed across from a convenience store in Fujikawaguchiko town, Yamanashi prefecture, central Japan on May 24, 2024. The town that erected the huge black screen last week in an attempt to stop tourists from snapping photos of Mount Fuji and overcrowding the area has discovered holes in the screen and is working to repair them, officials said Tuesday. (Kyodo News via AP)

Mt. Fuji is seen through a hole on a black screen installed across from a convenience store in Fujikawaguchiko town, Yamanashi prefecture, central Japan on May 24, 2024. The town that erected the huge black screen last week in an attempt to stop tourists from snapping photos of Mount Fuji and overcrowding the area has discovered holes in the screen and is working to repair them, officials said Tuesday. (Kyodo News via AP)

A worker sets up a huge black screen on a stretch of sidewalk at Fujikawaguchiko town, Yamanashi prefecture, central Japan Tuesday, May 21, 2024. Just a few weeks ago, the town began setting up a huge black screen to block a view of Mount Fuji because tourists were crowding into the area to take photos with the mountain as a backdrop to a convenience store, a social media phenomenon known as “Mount Fuji Lawson” that has disrupted business, traffic and local life. (Kyodo News via AP)

A worker sets up a huge black screen on a stretch of sidewalk at Fujikawaguchiko town, Yamanashi prefecture, central Japan Tuesday, May 21, 2024. Just a few weeks ago, the town began setting up a huge black screen to block a view of Mount Fuji because tourists were crowding into the area to take photos with the mountain as a backdrop to a convenience store, a social media phenomenon known as “Mount Fuji Lawson” that has disrupted business, traffic and local life. (Kyodo News via AP)

BUENOS AIRES, Argentina (AP) — A judge in Argentina was selected Monday to investigate allegations of fraud against President Javier Milei for his brief promotion of a cryptocurrency whose value collapsed within hours of its launch last week.

Milei and his office denied involvement with creators of the $LIBRA cryptocurrency, saying he initially drew attention to it Friday as an entrepreneurial project that might benefit Argentina but learned more about it later and then withdrew his support.

Lawyers in Argentina filed fraud complaints against the libertarian President on Sunday. The case was assigned Monday to Judge María Servini, head of Federal Court No. 1 in Buenos Aires. She doesn’t have a deadline to finish investigating the allegations.

In a tweet Friday evening that coincided with the launch of the $LIBRA crypto coin, Milei said that it was aimed at “encouraging economic growth by funding small businesses and startups.”

It enjoyed a brief spike in value above $4 billion in market capitalization, although its value began to decline amid comments of critics that it could be a scam. Milei deleted the post a few hours later as the value of the cryptocurrency was collapsing in a downturn that caused millions of dollars in losses to many of its new investors.

The coin, developed by KIP Protocol and Hayden Davis, could be obtained by accessing a link that directed users to a website called vivalalibertadproject.com, referring to the well-known phrase “Viva la libertad!” that Milei uses to close speeches and messages on his social media.

The president's office said in a statement that Milei was not involved in any stage of the cryptocurrency’s development and decided to remove his post to avoid speculation and limit further exposure, following the public reaction to the project’s launch.

“The president shared a post on his personal accounts announcing the launch of KIP Protocol’s project, as he does daily with many entrepreneurs who wish to launch projects in Argentina to create jobs and attract investments,” the president's office said.

After deleting the post, Milei said on X he was unaware of the details of the cryptocurrency, and accused his political opponents of trying to exploit the episode.

“I was not aware of the details of the project, and after getting informed, I decided not to continue promoting it (which is why I deleted the tweet),” he said.

His office also said that the country's Anti-Corruption Office, which operates under the executive branch, would investigate the case.

Jonatan Baldiviezo, a lawyer and one of the plaintiffs, said Sunday that the plaintiffs allege that Milei's actions were part of an illicit association to commit “an indeterminate number of frauds” in the episode.

“Within this illicit association, the crime of fraud was committed, in which the president’s actions were essential,” he said.

The national newspapers Clarin, right, and Pagin 12, left, are displayed for sale at a newsstand outside La Casa Rosada presidential office carrying headlines on a cryptocurrency scandal involving President Javier Milei in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Monday, Feb. 17, 2025. (AP Photo/Rodrigo Abd)

The national newspapers Clarin, right, and Pagin 12, left, are displayed for sale at a newsstand outside La Casa Rosada presidential office carrying headlines on a cryptocurrency scandal involving President Javier Milei in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Monday, Feb. 17, 2025. (AP Photo/Rodrigo Abd)

Photographed through a window, lawyer Jonatan Baldiviezo poses for the portrait during an interview at his home in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Monday, Feb. 17, 2025. (AP Photo/Rodrigo Abd)

Photographed through a window, lawyer Jonatan Baldiviezo poses for the portrait during an interview at his home in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Monday, Feb. 17, 2025. (AP Photo/Rodrigo Abd)

Juan Manuel Scala protests against Argentine President Javier Milei outside the Casa Rosada presidential office holding a poster that reads in Spanish "If it has four paws, moves its tail and barks, it's Milei lying," in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Monday, Feb. 17, 2025. (AP Photo/Rodrigo Abd)

Juan Manuel Scala protests against Argentine President Javier Milei outside the Casa Rosada presidential office holding a poster that reads in Spanish "If it has four paws, moves its tail and barks, it's Milei lying," in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Monday, Feb. 17, 2025. (AP Photo/Rodrigo Abd)

FILE - Then presidential hopeful Javier Milei looks on during a press conference in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Oct. 11, 2023. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko, File)

FILE - Then presidential hopeful Javier Milei looks on during a press conference in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Oct. 11, 2023. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko, File)

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