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April 01, 2025
 

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OVERTOURISM

A gate at the fifth station of Mount Fuji's Yoshida Trail in Fujiyoshida, Yamanashi Prefecture, is closed Tuesday as this year's climbing season ended.
JAPAN / Society
Sep 11, 2024
Authorities say cap on Mount Fuji hikers achieved goals as season ends
Yamanashi introduced a daily limit of 4,000 climbers and ¥2,000 fee this season, in hopes of clamping down on "bullet climbing" and easing congestion.
Okayama and Tottori prefectures are some of the least-visited regions in Japan among foreign tourists — which is why they offer such a welcome break from crowd-clogged cities like Tokyo and Kyoto.
LIFE / Travel
Aug 23, 2024
In Japan’s flyover country, 72 hours of hidden gems
Some of Japan’s least-visited prefectures among foreign tourists host opportunities for peace, quiet and rural beauty.
A huge black screen was set up to block a view of Mount Fuji from across a convenience store in Fujikawaguchiko, Yamanashi Prefecture, on May 21. The screen was removed last Thursday.
JAPAN
Aug 20, 2024
Screen blocking view of Mount Fuji removed to avoid typhoon damage
Town authorities had erected the screen on May 21 to dissuade tourists from flocking to the spot, following local residents' complaints about visitors' bad manners.
Climbers converge in front of Mount Fuji's 5th Station, which leads to the popular Yoshida trail, in Narusawa, Yamanashi Prefecture, on Aug. 11.
JAPAN / Society / FOCUS
Aug 20, 2024
Mount Fuji’s new measures bear fruit in tackling dangerous 'bullet climbing'
Restrictions implemented on the popular Yoshida trail have significantly reduced the number of "bullet climbers" and reduced bad behavior associated with the practice.
Visitors take selfies at Kinkaku-ji Golden Temple in Kyoto.
BUSINESS
Aug 13, 2024
Overtourism isn’t the conundrum it’s made out to be
142 countries are projected to exceed their pre-pandemic tourism performance this year, according to the World Travel & Tourism Council.
More tourists than ever are guided around Japan based on the content they consume online, but can those same creators help direct them to less-populated areas of the country?
COMMUNITY / Issues / The Foreign Element
Jul 29, 2024
Influencers helped cause overtourism. Can they help fix it?
“I don't want to use filters or put out content just for the sake of views and followers,” one content creator says. “I want to show people what the real Japan is.”
An empty street in Fukiya, Okayama Prefecture. Japan may be both experiencing overtourism in some places and witnessing the opposite in others.
JAPAN
Jul 11, 2024
Japan doesn't have too many tourists, statistics suggest. It just feels that way.
The country received 0.2 tourists per capita in 2023, compared with France's 1.5, Greece's 3.4, Portugal's 2.5 and Spain's 1.8.
Himeji Castle in Hyogo Prefecture. The mayor of Himeji has suggested that foreign tourists pay four times more to enter the castle than the current ¥1,000 entrance fee.
COMMENTARY / Japan
Jul 8, 2024
Japan really should charge tourists four times more
The suggestion by a Kansai mayor that foreign visitors pay more for tourist attractions doesn't go far enough. The government should establish a nationwide policy.
Tourists in front of the restaurant and shopping area of Mount Fuji's 5th Station, which leads to the popular Yoshida trail for hikers climbing the mountain, in Narusawa, Yamanashi Prefecture, on June 19.
JAPAN / Society
Jun 30, 2024
Mount Fuji begins charging entrance fees as overtourism prevention measure
The measure, which also includes capping the number of daily climbers at 4,000, marks the first time that climbing one of Japan's most enduring symbols will cost money.
Tour guide and history buff Rory Dent left his job at a U.K.-based tour operator to move to Japan and start his own business.
LIFE / Travel / Longform
Jun 30, 2024
Guiding Japan through the challenges of overtourism
With the number of overseas tourists breaking records, guides and tour operators are seeing their businesses flourish.
A group of Chinese tourists walks through the Ginza district in Tokyo.
ASIA PACIFIC / Society
Jun 22, 2024
Japan and Thailand top list of travel destinations for Chinese tourists
The return of Chinese tourists is being closely watched, as their numbers and spending are crucial for the tourism industry’s recovery.
Tourists walk through Nakamise shopping street near Sensoji temple in Tokyo. This year is expected to bring 33 million travelers to Japan, an unprecedented surge and a 30% increase from last year.
COMMENTARY / Japan
Jun 21, 2024
How an arrival tax could stem the overtourism tide
How can Japan ensure that tourism benefits locals and travelers alike? There's no silver bullet but an arrival tax of around $40 could be a good starting point.
People wait to cross a street in Kyoto in April. The number of foreign visitors to Japan came to 3.04 million in May, marking the third straight month at more than 3 million.
JAPAN
Jun 19, 2024
Flood of tourists prompts call to charge foreign visitors more
Foreign tourist arrivals numbered 3.04 million in May, up 9.6% from 2019 and marking the third straight month at over 3 million.
Foreign visitors learn how to make sushi in a cooking class at Sushi Making Tokyo in the Asakusa district of Tokyo.
JAPAN
Jun 18, 2024
Japan government paper seeks to promote rural areas to foreign visitors
Foreign tourists primarily spend their time and money in Tokyo, Osaka, and Nagoya, according to the paper.
Tourists visit Kiyomizu-dera Temple in Kyoto, where popular sites feel increasingly unmanageable.
JAPAN / Society
Jun 8, 2024
Japan likes tourists, just not this many
The country has politely handled travelers for years, but as visitors spill into previously untouristed spots, some residents are frustrated.
A popular photo spot with a view of Mount Fuji in the town of Fujikawaguchiko, Yamanashi Prefecture, on May 21.
JAPAN
Jun 6, 2024
Don’t look now but the Mount Fuji barrier is getting even higher
The move follows the installation of a black screen in a nearby town to block a view of Mount Fuji rising from behind a convenience store.
A new bus service was introduced in Kyoto as part of the city's efforts to address overtourism.
JAPAN / Society
Jun 2, 2024
Overtourism-hit Kyoto launches new bus service for tourists
The new line is part of the city's plan to thin the crowds of tourists clogging local buses that residents rely on.
A worker installs a barrier to block the sight of Mount Fuji in the town of Fujikawaguchiko, Yamanashi Prefecture, on May 21.
JAPAN
May 30, 2024
Town to replace Mount Fuji barrier after holes found: local media
The barrier was put up last week in a popular viewing spot in the town of Fujikawaguchiko.
Shizuoka Prefecture will launch an online registration system for Mount Fuji climbers on June 10.
JAPAN
May 30, 2024
Shizuoka to launch registration system for Mount Fuji climbers in June
The use of the registration system will not be mandatory, but registration will require the viewing of a video on climbing rules and etiquette.
A worker installs a barrier to block the sight of Japan's Mount Fuji emerging from behind a convenience store to deter badly behaved tourists, in the town of Fujikawaguchiko, Yamanashi Prefecture on May 21.
JAPAN
May 28, 2024
Holes poked in Mount Fuji barrier near convenience store, town says
Although a security guard is there between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m., the small holes appear to have been created in the morning or evening when no one was watching.
Japan's biggest beef bowl chain Sukiya to shut nearly 2,000 stores after rat and bug contamination
Zensho Holdings, operator of fast-food chain Sukiya, said it will close all of its stores in Japan, except for a small number in shopping centers, between Monday and Friday following recent contamination incidents.
Alert raised for volcano in southwestern Japan
Shinmoedake, a volcano located between Miyazaki and Kagoshima prefectures, in November 2019
Japan considers all possible options as Trump threatens new auto tariffs
Subaru cars awaiting export at a port in Yokohama on Thursday.
Nankai Trough earthquake could kill 298,000 people, government says
Residents participate in an evacuation drill held with West Japan Railway in Shirahama, Wakayama Prefecture, in January 2024 to prepare for a Nankai Trough earthquake and a possible tsunami following the quake.
A Canadian made a weekend trip to Costco a Japanese pastime
Under the watchful eye of Ken Theriault, Costco representative director and Japan country manager, the American membership-model wholesaler has flourished in Japan.
A Canadian made a weekend trip to Costco a Japanese pastime
Under the watchful eye of Ken Theriault, Costco representative director and Japan country manager, the American membership-model wholesaler has flourished in Japan.
Tokyo tech failures lean into misfortune, mistakes and missteps
Tsuyoshi Domoto in Tokyo's Shinjuku Ward on March 28. As an entrepreneur, Domoto experienced plenty of setbacks but maintains a positive attitude and continues to pursue his dreams.
Who among the opposition would join the ruling coalition?
Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba enters his office in Tokyo on Friday.
Traveling the Three-Star Road, the tourist route made from thin air
Scenes like this snow-covered bridge leading to the village of Shirakawa-go are what make the Three-Star Road worth traveling — its name notwithstanding.
Recent spate of wildfires in Japan and South Korea linked to climate change
Smoke and flames rise from a wildfire in Andong, South Korea, on Tuesday.

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