Tourism Instagrammers and litter: Japan fighting over-tourism

Nearly one year since Japan lifted all pandemic travel restrictions, foreign visitors, enticed by a favourable exchange rate, world-renowned cuisine, and the allure of a once-overlooked tourism destination, are returning with a vengeance. An American tourist summed it up: "Everything is affordable, the service is exceptional, and the food is unparalleled—yet it comes at a fraction of the price you'd pay in America."

Those and other attractions tempted 25.8 million foreign visitors to Japan last year, according to immigration authorities – a sixfold rise from 2022. Together they spent a record JPY 5.3tn (£28.3bn), according to the Japan Tourism Agency. Japan's government wants more, setting an ambitious goal of 60 million visitors – and JPY15tn of spending – by the end of the decade. But critics say Japan is ill prepared for higher tourist numbers, citing even more strain on accommodations, public transport and the service industry, at a time when the country is battling an acute labour shortage. [...] "Tourism pollution" is most visible in Kyoto, Japan's ancient capital and home to some of the country's most famous temples and shrines, and the geisha district of Gion. In 2022 the number of tourists visiting Kyoto exceeded 43 million – about 30 times the city's population.

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In response to concerns about over-tourism impacting historically and ecologically significant sites, local authorities in Japan have started to implement proactive measures, such as charging visitors an admission fee of ¥100 at Itsukushima Shrine (the revenue generated from this fee will contribute to the preservation and maintenance of the shrine), at the Taketomi Islands off Iriomote (to protect the pristine beaches and natural beauty of the islands), and at Mount Fuji (the fee is intended to alleviate the strain on the crowded trails, which were trodden by more than 5 million people in 2019; read more here).

Other localities bring in additional taxi drivers from other areas of Japan. While Japanese law prohibits taxis from operating outside their designated business areas, special provisions permit authorized drivers to do so in a limited capacity in areas where the provision of transportation services is challenging.

Many locals and some tourists take exception to litter louts and nuisance influencers who trample on local customs and treat busy locations like their personal photo studio:

"I think it's a generational thing," she said. "The first few times I came here, there was no trash and now there's a lot. There's also a sense of an entitlement … people do whatever they want and don't teach themselves about local customs. They don't care. These places don't just exist for your Instagram story."

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