Tourism Hokkaido grappling with overtourism

Overtourism is causing disruptions to the lives of residents in Hokkaido, a popular destination for travellers.

Between April and September 2024, Otaru, Hokkaido, welcomed approximately 3.96 million visitors, reaching pre-pandemic levels comparable to the same period in fiscal 2019. On 23 January, a foreign tourist tragically lost their life after being hit by a train while taking photos on the tracks near Asari Station. A local residential area is home to Funami-zaka Slope, a popular filming spot that attracts many foreign tourists. However, their behaviour has been troubling for residents. Although the city has stationed security guards from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. since 28 January, visitors resume taking photos in the streets once the guards leave.

The city, working with the prefectural government, police, and transport operators, launched a countermeasure council on Feb. 10, with plans to finalize specific measures by the end of this fiscal year in March. As one walks through the tourist areas, a variety of languages can be heard, all bright and cheerful, while car horns sound angrily. There is an urgent need to instill rules and manners in tourists to ensure a pleasant experience for both visitors and residents.

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Similar issues were reported in Furano, central Hokkaido, where foreign investors snatch up prime real estate.

Furano now hosts approximately 250,000 foreign overnight guests annually—4.2 times more than a decade ago and 1.7 times the pre-pandemic level. Kitanomine, at the base of Furano's ski resort, has seen an influx of foreign capital, with new condominiums and hotels under development. In March last year, the district recorded Japan's highest residential land price increase. Over the past five years, land prices have skyrocketed fivefold. Some plots sell for 2.5 million yen per square meter, with specific properties exceeding 100 million yen.

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Furano, once the idyllic setting for the drama Kita no Kuni Kara, is now nearly unrecognizable. Foreign investment has transformed Kitanomine into another Niseko, with real estate prices soaring to bubble-era levels. While the town's future remains promising, the voices of longtime residents who feel left behind should not be ignored.