Not that anyone here is guilty of any of this, but just to keep informed about what some people are doing......

Tourists Are Causing Headaches In Japan


This isn't the only time to see this. Actually I just saw a video of a botanical garden in Australia and there was extensive damage done to the bamboo grove there. But it's happening at the Sagano Bamboo Grove in Kyoto now too.



You don't see Japanese coming to your country and doing this to your natural beauty, DO YOU?

Having lived in a very small town for decades that attracts tourists, I feel obliged to say that in packs, the groups of Japanese were the most oblivious to the disruption they caused unnecessarily, such as standing in the middle of the main street taking pictures as if it was Main St. Disneyland. Fortunately the number of such groups was small because it's pretty far off the beaten path but I point it out as a phenomenon even among people whose heritage stresses politeness. Many new to travel, & some not new, seem to forget to pack good sense & manners when they leave home. Taking normally sensible friends along on my travels taught me that when they turned into people I didn't know. It is, I believe, a universal problem, some places just learning it. Be careful what you ask for!

To see how Japan tourism has changed, you don't need to look any further than this forum. In the 1990's and until just a few years ago, there were only random posts about Japan, and there were maybe ten 'regulars' who answered most of those questions. The bulk of posts were about Thailand, Singapore, and Bali with lots on India, Cambodia, Hong Kong and China. For a while Burma/Myanmar and Vietnam were hot destinations. A few years back, one after another Fodorite tried Japan and now it seems that questions regarding Japan are the most common here.

A very interesting article. My last visit to Japan was in 2008, my next in January 2020. I didn’t appreciate how much tourism had grown. I am glad I am visiting in the low season!

It seems that Japan is suffering in much the same way as New Zealand has over the same period and that many of the problems seem to be caused by the same nationalities.

Loved the last sentence in the article " But definitely remember the most important tourism rule of all: Don’t be an asshole."

Perhaps the Japanese tourism authority should hand out tee shirts with that logo on to all arriving tourists.

We loved Japan and hope to go back one day. People are very polite and it’s very clean. Every year in PA. there is the Little League World Series and baseball mad Japan nearly always qualifies. When their kids play their fans stay after the game has finished to clean up the stands. AFAIK they are the only ones to do this.
As Crellston has said its basically the golden rule or words to that effect.

You would not recognize Japan compared to 2008 - especially in Kyoto.




The number of tourists has exploded. Just over 2/3 are from Japan's neighbors. And Japan is aiming for 40 million tourists next year - with the Olympics, they might just succeed. I can tell you I won't be going there next year. Even in Tokyo last year, I couldn't stand at a stop light of any major street without hearing Chinese being spoken around me. Xenophobia may play a role - there were a few TV programs I saw when I lived there about crimes from foreigners with sinister music in the background shrieking away.
But that alone doesn't cover it all. There is some about the Japanese themselves as well.



The above is from a complaining Japanese boat repair yard manager, telling people to stay out. Apparently the scene was from, or inspired by, a Japanese animated movie Spirited Away, so there were 100 people a day trespassing
to take pictures mimicking the scene, and leaving garbage behind. All of it was in Japanese, and you don't see a lot of foreign tourists touring around in high heels, so this one is directed at themselves.

But there are a lot more regarding the foreign tourists:




The above and others are from the Tottori Sand Dunes, and a Japanese crew has to be dispatched to erase the message.

And perhaps the most egregious is from some Australian caught spray painting his "art" on Japanese trains.





But the straw that broke the camel's back though appears to be an internet young fellow, who goes out of his way to be infamous on Youtube.




His trek into Aokigahara (aka Suicide Forest) finally brought about a massive deserved backlash.

To behave yourself is certainly good advice when going to any country. If you want to be an obnoxious horse's-ass, then do it at home.
But 2 points - over 99.9% of travelers are nothing like the above, yet it spills over on everyone including us as well. It only takes a few to ruin it for everyone.
The second thing is that your "Harmless fun" might not be so harmless after all.

The Japanese are mostly incredibly welcoming and friendly to foreign visitors. There are very few places that welcome you more, without having some ulterior motive of ripping you off, screwing you over, or getting your money from you. In other nations, tourists are often taken advantage of and made to pay more than the locals. In Japan, it is usually the opposite. I hope that doesn't change.