Danielle Demetriou
Picture Nara. Wrapped in densely forested mountains, the ancient capital of Japan is steeped in temples, natural beauty, sacred deer – and, according to the new prime minister, misbehaving tourists.
Overtourism in Japan is an issue that has long been simmering in the headlines, with meteoric inbound visitor numbers continuing to relentlessly break records – and, in places, test nerves – as the post-pandemic tourism boom shows little sign of easing.
Sanae Takaichi, Japan’s newly-appointed, first female prime minister, made sure overtourism was positioned high on the political agenda from the start of her leadership campaign, with a strongly-worded critique of visitors in Nara, her hometown.
Describing “outrageous people” who reportedly kicked the deer – long regarded as divine messengers in the Shinto belief system – roaming free around Nara’s temples, Takaichi, known for her conservative views, said: “If visitors come from abroad and intentionally harm what Japanese people cherish, then something has gone too far.”
Japan appears to be at a tipping point. Every month this year, inbound tourist figures have hit a record high, fuelled by a weak yen and an apparently insatiable global appetite to experience the country. In September, this figure topped 3.26 million, 13 per cent higher than the same time last year, bringing this year’s annual total to over 31 million.
Countering the economic benefits for the government and tourism industry is the growing sound of residents complaining about the impact on daily life, particularly in hotspots such as Tokyo, Kyoto and around Mount Fuji.
Under the influence
The situation is worsened by high-profile incidents spotlit in Japanese media. One US tourist was apparently arrested for scratching graffiti onto a wooden gate in the deeply historic precincts of Meiji Jingu shrine in Tokyo. An influencer from Chile reportedly filmed herself doing pull-ups while hanging off a sacred torii gate at a Shinto shrine.
A litany of less extreme but persistent complaints include littering, overcrowding local transport systems, noisiness, smoking and eating in streets. Initiatives to temper the impact of tourism on daily life are becoming increasingly common.
Among the most high-profile recent interventions is a major hike in hotel taxes in Kyoto due to come into effect from next year – with guests staying at the highest category of hotel (over 100,000 yen ($990 a night) facing an additional 10,000 yen ($99) per night charge.
Officials in Kamakura, a scenic seaside city with temples, mountains and surf communities, just an hour outside the capital, have also just launched a major crowd-funding initiative to help cover soaring costs to deal with tourists. Its local Enoden train line, known for featuring in a popular Japanese anime, is suffering heavy over-congestion due to visiting fans.
Mount Fuji, and the timeless allure of its perfect snow-capped triangular peak, is another overtourism hotspot. The Lawson convenience store at Fujikawaguchiko town is something of a symbol of this, due to its continued attempts to discourage tourists from disrupting daily life by visiting to take pictures of Mount Fuji, from hiring security guards, to installing barriers.
Last week, its latest attempt took the shape of a new 1.5-metre-high barrier installed in front of the convenience store, enabling visitors to take pictures, but without getting in the way (tourists had reportedly made holes in earlier barriers installed at the same spot).
Mind your manners
Kyoto is perhaps the most high-profile overtourism spot. The city, ancient, scenic and compact, has been struggling to manage bottlenecks of tourists in key hubs, such as the popular Gion district and temples such as Kiyomiz-dera.
Koji Matsui, the mayor of Kyoto, earlier this year said he was exploring the idea of introducing a dual-pricing system on city-operated buses – which would involve tourists paying a higher fare than local residents.
The move, in addition to the new hotel tax hike, follows a gentler range of initiatives, from “mind your manners” campaigns to tourist-only buses with routes to popular tourism sites, to lighten the pressure on local transport systems.
Cultural sensitivities were also flagged as a key issue by Matsui, who cited examples of tourists making loud noises in shrines, eating in streets, entering tea houses without reservations and chasing geisha down streets to take their photographs.
Takafumi Zenryu Kawakami, the 24th generation head priest at serene Shunkoin Temple in north-west Kyoto, welcomed the growing diversity of tourists in the city – yet urged greater awareness over the impact of their behaviour on daily life.
“Locals are more concerned about overtourism,” he said. “For example, if you live near or along the route to a major tourist site, residents are not able to take any public transportations because buses and trains are fully occupied by tourists with big suitcases.”
Offering advice to overseas visitors to Kyoto, he added: “Be aware of public manners in Japan. It doesn’t mean it is OK to ignore the rules because no one is complaining to you. Maybe people don’t tell you because they are not fluent in English or other languages.”
And in terms of what Japan can do? He urged a culturally sensitive approach to tackling tourism issues: “Japan should remove its homogeneous mentality. For example, we should make unwritten rules written rules, so the tourists can know what they are.
“Some Japanese people think all the foreign tourists are ignoring the rules. But it is just small portions of them. Also, Japanese law enforcement should use more translation apps or tools to communicate with tourists who are violating rules.”
Finding harmony
Sara Aiko, another longtime Kyoto resident and the founder of Curated Kyoto consultancy, describes how year-round crowds have impacted many elements of daily life – from ordering morning coffee to running errands.
“Hotels and restaurants have raised their prices significantly, which makes it harder for locals to enjoy what used to be occasional luxuries,” she said. “It’s becoming expensive even for special occasions. In saying that, I see places like The Ace Hotel Kyoto offering a locals-friendly price, which is beautiful.”
Mismatched cultural signals are also sensitive: “Japan deeply values harmony, beauty and care for one’s surroundings, so things like tourists sitting or lying on the ground, or speaking loudly in public, can disrupt that balance. These gestures may seem small, but they can really affect the local atmosphere and how people feel.”
She adds: “Everyone has a role to play. Travellers can prepare and learn about customs before coming, the government can strengthen infrastructure to support both locals and visitors. And people like me can help by providing thoughtful guidance so guests have authentic, respectful experiences.
“I also believe some regulation on visitor numbers could help ease the pressure. Ultimately, it’s about creating harmony again, between locals, travellers, and the city itself.”
Escaping the crowds
As a Kyoto resident myself, I can testify to the overtourism problem. For the first time in close to two decades living in Japan, I recently had to queue to board a bullet train – and then stand most of the way between Tokyo and Kyoto as it was so busy (admittedly I was making a last-minute trip on a Saturday morning, always the busiest time).
However, there are countless other spots, away from the tourist hubs – both in Kyoto and across Japan generally – that remain quiet and unspoilt.
In Nishijin, our local neighbourhood, long famed as a kimono textile-making hub north-west of the city, I often cycle through peaceful, quiet narrow lanes. Just a few days ago, I sat on a wooden platform overlooking an immaculately serene Zen garden in a temple complex not far from home – with no one else around.
Beyond Kyoto, in recent weeks, I’ve swum on empty beaches in Fukui, walked through peaceful rice fields in Toyama and explored quiet forest-wrapped mountain temples in Yamagata – without any other tourists in sight.
Adding a deepening nuance to the issue, Japan’s struggles with tourism are sensitively layered with long-lingering questions surrounding the nation’s identity in modern times and its openness to the outside world.
For more than three centuries, Japan closed its borders during an era of isolation known as “sakoku”, a period of time which stabilised internal peace and shaped the nation’s unique cultural identity, relatively untouched by Western influences – a legacy further shaped by the upheavals of the Second World War.
Today, like many places around the world, Japan is witnessing the rise of Right-wing populism. Sanseito, a nationalist party launched during the pandemic in 2020, has surged in the polls in recent years, with its anti-globalist rhetoric and “Japanese first” agenda rallying against immigration and tapping into growing public unease over issues such as overtourism.
As the world’s love affair with Japan continues, and Takaichi settles into her new role, all eyes will be on how the nation handles overtourism, balancing cultural preservation and daily life with both the pros and cons of its ongoing tourist boom.
The Telegraph, London
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