December 24, 2024
TOKYO – Kyoto, one of Japan’s major tourist destinations, is suffering from overtourism amid booming inbound demand. The city needs to find a way to balance between maintaining its traditions as an ancient capital and providing hospitality to tourists. Kyoto residents who feel their daily lives are being oppressed by overtourism seem to be nearing the limits of their patience.
In early December, the area around a bus stop on the north side of JR Kyoto Station was crowded even on a weekday afternoon. Ordinary Japanese people were quietly walking beside a line of more than 50 foreign tourists waiting for a bus. It seemed as if the area had been mainly designed for tourists, with ordinary people overshadowed.
In a survey conducted last fall by Kyoto City on residents’ attitudes toward tourism, many pointed to the negative effects of overtourism. In response to a question about whether they think that there are people who feel annoyed by crowded conditions on buses and subways due to the presence of tourists, those who “strongly agree,” “agree” and “somewhat agree” totaled 90.2%. This high number seems to indicate that nuisances such as tourists leaving trash on the street or dragging large suitcases through narrow alleys have become commonplace in Kyoto.
Kyoto has long been a tourist town, attracting not only regular visitors but also many students on school excursions and children on field trips. Groups of young people dressed in school uniforms can be seen everywhere in the city, and this has not changed even now. Kyoto residents must have felt proud when they saw people gathering to experience the culture of the ancient capital, but now they may be more likely to feel uncomfortable.
Overtourism has long been considered an issue that needs to be solved. However, the reality is that countermeasures have not been able to keep pace with the rapid recovery in inbound demand after the COVID-19 pandemic. While the number of high-end stores that count on visits from foreign tourists is increasing, the number of familiar stores where residents can buy daily necessities and restaurants where they can have everyday meals is decreasing. Not only do throngs of tourists pack buses and subways, but now they sometimes also appear on school routes, residential roads and even small roads on private property.
It is a bit hard for residents to express their dissatisfaction because they know Kyoto is a touristy place all the time. A woman in her 70s who has lived in Kyoto for roughly 50 years said: “Tourists are basically welcome, and I am glad to see Kyoto bustling with them. I am proud to be able to promote the charm of the ancient capital.” Then she added, “But I sometimes feel stressed when waves of tourists keep coming into our living space.”
The administration is strengthening measures against overtourism. Mayor Koji Matsui, who was elected for the first time this past February, has been promoting a variety of measures to balance tourism and civic life.
One that has had a certain effect is the “Sightseeing Limited Express Bus” introduced in June to relieve pressure on buses for residents. The express buses for tourists go directly to popular tourist spots such as Kiyomizudera temple. The buses have been well received by tourists, and the number of users surpassed 100,000 in October. Kyoto City is also eager to raise the lodging tax and implement “resident preferred pricing,” which charges tourists higher fares than those for local people.
However, not all efforts are going smoothly. The “Hands Free Bus” launched in September to promote “empty-handed tourism,” in which tourists go sightseeing without carrying large luggage, is struggling a bit. Eight buses a day visit accommodations and major tourist attractions, and tourists can get off the bus while leaving their suitcases aboard, but the service has yet to catch on with foreign visitors. On a weekday evening in early December, a bus appeared to be empty when it arrived at the Shijo-Karasuma bus stop in the center of the city, but no one got on.
In an interview with the Yomiuri Shimbun, Matsui said, “There is no cure-all for overtourism, and we need to take a variety of steps.” But the mayor added: “There is an aspect that infrastructure has been more developed because more tourists come. I would like residents to know about this aspect.”
Administrative efforts are not always perfect for residents. There is a movement among residents to take measures at the grassroots level. In the Gion area, signs have been installed prohibiting tourists from entering private roads and taking photos there. The local council in this area decided to install the signs in response to problems with maiko (apprentice geisha) being so beset by photographers that they are unable to move, and because of the many etiquette violations, such as littering. That shows that some residents think they must make rules to preserve their own quality of life. This sort of trend is likely to accelerate in various parts of Kyoto in the future.
According to the Japan National Tourism Organization, the number of foreign visitors to Japan from January through November in this year was estimated to be 33,379,900, the highest-ever yearly figure even through there is still one month left. The number is on track to reach 35 million for the year. The government has set a target of 60 million foreign visitors to Japan by 2030. As the rising tide of inbound tourism continues, it is urgent for the central government to support local authorities who are seriously confronted with overtourism. The government will have to hasten the introduction of effective measures such as encouraging tourists to visit more regional areas and imposing accommodation or other taxes, depending on the actual conditions of tourist destinations. In some cases, “residents first” measures such as admission restrictions will have to be taken.
While economic revitalization through tourism is extremely important for Japan’s future, it will be a complete disaster if it comes at the expense of the lives of the people living in tourist areas.
In Kyoto, soaring land prices associated with the rush to build accommodations and other factors are driving up rents, and some people are being forced to leave Kyoto. If those who have lived in Kyoto stay away from Kyoto, the ancient capital will not be able to maintain its good qualities in the future and may lose its appeal as a tourist destination.
We must keep Kyoto an ever-sustainable tourist destination precisely because it is an irreplaceable world treasure. Not only the Japanese but people from all over the world can offer ideas to improve the situation.