Well, I'm here in Tokyo since the end of September and, apart on trains at rush hours, I didn't saw all these tourist here around. Of course, Skytree and I guess Asaskusa still be crowded but if you get out a bit of these places you can't see and find that many tourists. Then of course, if you plan to visit only the places where all the people goes, you got your answer guys 😆 Tokyo, or Japan in general, for me doesn't mean only "the most known places" but explore. Ah, I was in Nikko on Tuesday and, it was basically empty. Most of the tourist I saw was Japanese.
I go to Japan every end of year (except for covid era), I can see an increase of tourists in Tokyo more than anywhere else in Japan. Last year it bothered me a bit specially in Tsukiji where some people were not following the norm when eating at a sushi bar, being loud while eating or talking on speaker phone while waiting to be seated. ZipAir flight ticket roundtrip is only 400$ between LAX-NRT for October/November, the quality of tourists coming in is the problem.
I came back from a 2 week Tokyo trip a week ago but didn't really see much tourists. Even the touristy places didn't feel that jam packed, I could walk there easy. The biggest problem where the Chinese tourist groups who just didn't know how to behave.
i walk through shinjuku everyday and 40% of people are tourists/ distinctively not japanese. but in smaller neighborhoods there are a lot less tourists so i see where you're coming from.
Hey John. I’ve been watching Only in Japan since before I even moved here in 2015 (as well as your appearances on Tokyo Eye). Your commentaries on current events in Japan are always thoughtful, insightful, and unbiased. You’re never afraid to call out foreigner’s bad behavior or Japan’s sometimes asinine reactive policies. You’re doing an invaluable service to Japan’s foreign residents, prospective tourists, and Japan in general. Keep up the good work 🤘
I agree with you 💯 He is super talented to present things from the neutral point and also gives very warm and positive vibe at the same time. One and only 🎉
Anywhere people are drinking there are problems-its not just Shibuya. Shibuya is actually pretty tame compared to other drinking districts in other countries.
That is so true!!!! I won't name the district, but there are times I would go out for a drink, and people would go to this bar plastered drunk already. I don't go there often as it's not my regular. But, it's just way worse than shibuya.
As a Japanese person who has seen Shibuya's history for a long time, I think it's getting worse every year. Of course, tourists aren't the only cause. We find comfortable places other than Shibuya to enjoy the nightlife.
No. Amsterdam is overtourism. In the centre of Amsterdam no Dutch is sproken. It is 80% not natives. All is AirBnB and hotels, no one lives there. THAT is over tourism.
I am a Japanese person living in the countryside, and I occasionally speak with tourists from overseas. While most conversations are brief, I've noticed that visitors from the Netherlands often praise their experiences in Japan, including the beauty of the mountains and the weather. Interestingly, they also express concerns about tourism in their own country. Curious about this, I did some research and found that there was a 'Stay Away' campaign in 2023, and Amsterdam’s tourist tax is set to increase from 7% to 12.5% in January 2024, making it the highest in Europe. By the way, they also skillfully use bicycles to travel around Japan, which I personally admire about their culture.
Amsterdam is verschrikkelijk. Woon er bijna mijn hele leven. Ging vroeger zo graag 'de stad' in. Nu is er weinig meer van over. Niemand spreekt inderdaad Nederlands. Sowieso word je nu bijna overal in het Engels aangesproken...in elke kledingwinkel, in restaurants etc. Amsterdam heeft totaal geen charme meer voor mij. Daarom ga ik graag naar Japan haha.
@@kawaiipanda1974 Ik begrijp het. De Nederlandse vrouw met wie ik sprak, vertelde dat haar broer accountant is en in Japan woont. Ze kwam naar Japan om hem te bezoeken en tegelijkertijd te touren. Haar broer heeft zijn driejarige contract in Japan afgerond, maar hij heeft zijn contract verlengd en is nu bezig aan zijn vierde jaar. Ik hoop dat je Japanse reis nog steeds geweldig is. Trouwens, ik spreek geen Nederlands, dus ik gebruik een vertaalapp om dit te schrijven. Ik hoop dat ik het goed overbreng.
@@gotakazawa408 Hi, thank you for your comment and taking the time to react. At the end of November we will be travelling to Japan for the 6th time. We have been all over the world and never wanted to visit a country/city twice....until we experienced Japan. Now we are hooked, haha. The Japanese people are so kind and I love how organized everything is. In Amsterdam I get annoyed so quickly and in Japan I have not experienced a single irritation. I don't think I would blend in in the work environment, but I have deep respect for the people of Japan.
Good perspective, John. It's always nice to see issues through your eyes. I enjoy your point of view. Agreed. Tourists do not have shame, and they are not respectful of the law. It's a sad situation. I hope Japan doesn't take any of the shenanigans from tourists!
Thanks John for this topic of overtourism. During my visit I noticed that many tourists are not conscious that they are annoying the locals in various ways. For example talking loud in the public transport. Touching evening hurting the local people with their big backpacks without realising it. Blocking the way while walking on the pavements. In short I guess the issue is the lack of concern and respect for the locals, not the overtourism. ❤
It is really more targeted to specific parts of Tokyo that may experience some overtourism , definitely not the entite city. Even in kyoto, not every area is the same. There are still many temples that would love to get some extra tourism. Example, fushimi inari shrine may get a lot of tourism, but the sake village near it probably doesn't. Same for asakusa , just a few minutes away is sumida and oshiage which doesn't really have that much crowd.
As a resident, I am tired of the badly behaving tourists. From the idiots doing Yoga poses at temples, acting up on trains or standing around drinking.... Yea no thanks
Hi John, is it over tourism or too many ignorant and rowdy people not caring they’re imposing on locals and people getting to work? I think you nailed it - the quality of the tourist is the issue, it’s not just Americans, I think there’s a lot of people that just travel without respecting that country’s culture.
I agree. While the quality of tourists is one factor, the behavior of the Japanese crowd that gathers in Shibuya has also noticeably declined over the past 30 years. (I spent my university years around Shibuya.) Even among Japanese people, those with good sense tend to dislike the current chaos of Shibuya. Unless there's a specific reason to go, most Japanese in their 30s and older generally choose other areas of Tokyo.
Just three years ago the Japanese economy, especially in the small tourist destinations, was struggling with the lack of tourists allowed. So many businesses had to close and the news kept being bleak about them. Now the tourists have returned and are boosting the economy but for some reason are hated. I think Japan (or their media) just wanted to have their cake and eat it too.
I think a lot of comments here are dangerously close to shaming working class people. It’s important to clarify ‘low class’ means people without respect and full of ignorance. It’s not a direct reflection on someone’s socioeconomic status. Shameless people come from all walks of life. Rich people are just as likely to be as disrespectful as the next person. I think the tourist hotspots of Japan are no different whatsoever to any other popular destinations around the world. If you live in a popular destination then you will get a larger amount of disrespectful people coming. It happens everywhere. Let’s not fall into the trap of vilifying visitors. It’s one world, we are all (mostly) free to travel it. With the good comes the bad. Just try to focus on the positives.
@@richardingram2374 I 100% agree with you. I live in a touristy city in the US, and I also happen to be Japanese and visit Tokyo often. You take the good with the bad. We don’t need to turn people into the problem or create problems where they don’t exist. Next thing you know people will say that the tourists are eating the cats and dogs.
I'd give a qualified "yes", on the basis that Tokyo is so intense and full of interesting stuff that it outdraws other parts of Japan that are just as interesting, if perhaps not as vibrant. I'm going back in February and intend to explore mainly rural areas.
Thank you, John. I enjoy all your reports. I just came back from Japan two weeks ago and it was my first visit. It was very crowded in Kyoto and Tokyo when I was there, but I managed to enjoy my short stay, five nights in Kyoto and three nights in Tokyo, with two nights at an Onsen in Kanazawa sandwiched in between the two big cities. I must say the two nights at the onsen was a perfect rest stop and I enjoyed wonderful Kaiseki cuisine. 30 years ago when I was younger, I had hoped to go to Japan, but could not afford to. Now that I can afford traveling Japan does seem very crowded in some spots, but Japan needs tourism. It seems people are overcrowding at the temples just to take photos of themselves in kimonos. I don’t know how much new tourists to Japan appreciate the traditional culture. I hope to come back another time to check out more of the country. Best of luck to you!
Hi, John. I think both SHINJUKU and AKIHABARA are also popular destinations for tourists in addition to SHIBUYA. MEIJI Shrine would also be a tourist spot as well….
Interesting. I happened to visit Barcelona this summer. There were so many places off the tourist track that were super empty, or locals only. It was lovely! I was super nervous considering all I’d heard about the over tourism, not to mention the local protests.
As I get further into the video, I couldn’t agree more with what you said about the current tourists! I’ve been visiting since 2010 (I’m in my late 30s now, started coming in my early 20s) as a life long lover of Japanese culture. Highly prone to shame 😂 I can’t stand the tourists who visit without studying, or at least respecting, the culture. Everything felt, and still feels, reverent when I visit. I’m thankful to continue visiting, and I hope that the Japanese people know that there are foreigners who want to respect them and their home. Also, love Tokyo Cheapo! What a great site; I visit often!
When it comes to the Shibuya halloween, based on last year it will go by without much of a fuss. In the end, it always was 99% locals and just a few tourist, and with those locals staying at home or going elsewhere and thus most of the whole event gone, not much reason for tourist to hang out there either.
This is my third trip to Japan. Second time with my daughter. I travel to see my brother Hiroshi and his family. We met in college and have children similar ages. Japan and Tokyo are astounding to me and I have been traveling internationally since I was 18 in the USAF. There is just something about Japan that calls. It feels like a second home you can’t visit all the time. Japan is special and I am grateful I can share it with my daughter. Gods creation is astounding.
Everyone now has wheeled suit cases AND backpacks 🔥 leave the suitcase and stuff at the hotel or whatever and then explore the city, countryside, etc with your backpack 😄
Venice introduced a tourism tax recently. I think it is voluntary to pay now but will be a requirement in the future. It gets so bad on weekends that certain bridges are hard to cross and locals avoid certain areas flooded with people from out of town. Paris and London may also have a tourism tax in the future.
If in your culture you are taught to feel shame regarding certain behaviors but in another culture they aren't taught that... Why would you expect those people to automatically feel shame? They were raised differently, that doesn't make them bad or wrong. Something that may be obvious to you as "good" or "appropriate" behavior may be so foreign to someone else that they don't realize it's even an issue.
I would say yes, there is a problem. A hotel rooms begin easily at 10k Yen, where I paid 6k in 2022. My girlfriend has to take an exam in Hiroshima and just can't afford it with her Konbini job. Saying people in Shibuya are not affected, because the local community is away from the scramble is also kind of hard to believe. You would expect the local community (to want) to frequent those places.
If you can afford to live in Shibuya, you don’t have any financial issues resulting from over tourism. The aren’t too many tourists, just poorly mannered tourists. Most locals (I lived in Setagaya) don’t frequent Hachiko scramble for food. Out of town Japanese and tourists. Locals will visit places in their neighborhoods, maybe Sangenjaya :) much better vibe but I shouldn’t be promoting it 😂
I know local people tend to use couriers for their luggage in Japan but let’s not harp on foreigners for bringing wheeled luggage on their trip and label them as “low quality”.
Even though i didn’t saw this completely from the start i still liked this and the topic was quite interesting🤔Overtourism probably isn’t the major issue considering those problems but the certain types of people that can’t behave and causing problems🤔These are my opinions only in the certain level but ,tourism brings incomes so that’s is a so called ”two barrel ” problem🤔Thank you for sharing this John🙂👍!!!
16:50 this exactly! I could not agree more with you on that. Every time I see a video showing a normal thing from Japan but that to them is "Crazy!" or "Soo weird" makes me cringe. It's pretty rude for a foreigner to say that a local's normal thing is weird or crazy, makes me think they're uneducated. It would be better if they'd use "interesting" instead of over reacting.
You can look at 'over tourism' from the viewpoint of the area/city/town. But you can also look at it from the tourist. Now i don't travel anymore (age). But i am grateful that i have been to many (tourist) area's and did not have to move around in very crowded areas. It does't look to be fun anymore.
I have seen some videos of locals being upset with the Chinese tourist. Obviously there is little to no context of some of these posts so I'm not sure how true they are. But I have seen complaint of mainland Chinese in Hong Kong as well, a little different but still a possible common denominator.
I think Asakusa and Shibuya are groaning a bit under the weight of foreign tourist numbers. I dont like to ascribe class to the issue as I've seen plenty of wealthy upper class types behave abominably too. I'd put it down to complete ignorance.
25:06 Muji Ginza. I was just there this Sunday Oct 13 before leaving Japan to Canada (via LAX). It was a great 2 week experience. However, I did not like that there were no benches to sit down anywhere from all the walking. No garbage bins to throw away your trash away (except at Narita airport). Small little things but overall great experience except Hakone…too many train transfers.
I had been in japan 5 times as a tourist. In tokyo I do not really see that increase on crowd size. Shibuya always had his queue in hachico statue, the town plaza has the same amount of people. What I saw was a increase on local towns in those day trips zones. Nara is packed in the first temple, park, but you walk some more and the other great shrines/temples have only japanese people there. Same for kamakura. The main streen is packed, the great buda is packed with tourist, but the back streets and shrines/temples have none.
call Ai knows that I was in Shinjuku in June, where I stay because I need access to all parts of the city, and I have never seen the sea of non-Japanese people. What was really hysterical is that the last time I was in that particular area it was full of people trying to get me into their host clubs. I had to explain to another gas at my hotel that notice the red light district is right next-door that had arrived a few years earlier he was in the middle of it. I think the over tourism will calm down as the exchange rate stabilizes, but it shouldn't do that before January because I have a big Blu-ray order that I need to be cheaper ;)
Spot on about Kyoto and other cities who complain about tourists. If they catered for them a bit better, they would make a lot of money and the locals would not be as affected by tourists.
I went to Golden Gai last night and it was 95% tourists, that's a huge change from the last time I was here. It seems to discourage locals from going because of the crowds.
Living in Hawai'i, yeah, overtourism can be a big problem. A lot depends on the quality of the visitor, but, Hawai'i, with a population of 1.4 million, versus 9+ million visitors, it can be overwhelming. I would think that Tokyo versus tourist, the ratio isn't as strong, maybe 1:1 in 2024?
In certain places, you expect the international population (like in Hong Kong and NYC). In other places, when you come face to face with an unexpected international population, it can clash with idealized expectations, and the result is a slight negative feeling. I think that for Tokyo, a lot of people have the idealized mental framework. The idea is that Japan is for Japanese, so getting there and suddenly seeing a lot of foreign faces feels like a contradiction. Especially for those only visiting the city, it seems to detract from the authenticity of the travel experience. I do think that there is something lost with extensive tourism, and this is a part of it.
If you want to talk about over tourism, spare a thought for the tiny picturesque Austrian village of Hallstatt, which has a population of only 778, but after being featured in a popular K-drama, receives between 10,000 to 30,000 tourists per day at the peak of tourism season.
Hi John, just caught themed of the stream, and rewatched. Question is when a country or town has over tourism, then due to this, puts in place things which reduce tourist coming or to keep an area as it was traditionally, ie such as in Kyoto with the Geisha district, at what level do think that this would affect the local economy due to less tourisism ? I do think that this has been or is a current issue in places in Europe and possibly. some places in Japan, but when tourism becomes a main stay of an area, and then disappears, what happens to the people who relied on work, based on tourism? Yes there has to be an exceptable level to keep a balance, but this always seems like a knee jerk reaction, which sometimes goes too far, and hurts rather than helps the economy and the people who rely on that’s sort of work. Anyway, thank you for an interesting and thought provoking stream, it certainly made me think.
Americans are traveling. Doesn’t excuse the disrespect but Americans travel. Japan literally doesn’t boarder any country. I travel a lot and respect Japan so please don’t generalize Americans. I’ve seen disrespect coming from all travelers in Japan. I spend a lot of time in Japan and find disrespect comes from all walks of life.
Tourism in Japan certainly is rapidly increasing and it has increased a lot since I first came in 2013. Though the numbers are still well below that of France, Spain, Mexico, Turkey, Italy, the UK, Austria, Germany, Thailand, etc (Japan doesn't even crack the Top 10 most visited countries - And are 3rd in the Top 3 most visited countries in Asia). Aside from how the majority of tourism is heavily concentrated on specific parts of Japan (Tokyo, Kyoto). I feel that a lot of the issues are being caused (and/or made worse) by Japan's inability to be flexible and to think out of the box to come up with solutions to problems.
as expected when raised the jr pass so high ,initially the tourist would gone to other prefecture touring now due to the raised in jr pass many tourist should give up plans moving to other prefectures and just stay or visit just nearby .
I think we and the media sometimes confuse over tourism with poorly-behaving tourists. I would say places like Kyoto and its surrounding areas are the ones suffering from overtourism because their public transport system and streets are being choked, the quality of life of the residents has deteriorated because so many tourists are in town. With Shibuya, Kawaguchiko Lawson, the Mt Fuji road bridge, I would consider that poor behaviour on the part of tourists. Spreading tourists out to less-populated areas isn’t gonna solve that problem, in fact it’s gonna be helish for the residents who have hardly ever encountered tourists. I know 80% of people watching these videos are well behaved and not idiots who saw Japan on social media and want to go there and do all the trendy stuff, so we should be respectful to the locals, smile and try to interact with them. Then we will leave a positive impression, the more that happens, the less instances we see Japanese media coverage of “over tourism”.
Japanese Tourist Board said 80% of tourists in Japan are the Japanese themselves. Same situation as in the US, Europe in general, and etc. I am from the US and do most of my tourism in the US, Hawaii, except will be going to Japan 1st time in a few days. Tourist only go to tourist areas, and tourists don't go to the rest of the city where people work and live nothing to see or do there.
ultimately - tokyo is a value destination for many many many countries. you said it yourself with the recent disney video. real talk - if you can get cheap airline tickets from the US, it's a better value to do a tokyo trip, than say a trip to disneyworld or disneyland! And while the yen was starting to get strong recently, as of this writing it's back to 150 to the US Dollar.
backpackers are long gone, what we have now are social media tourist. They visit a country to post in social media, that's why they have huge wheeled suitcases filled with different "outfit for the day"
An influencer was reported in the media for posting videos of herself doing pull-ups on a torii gate at a shrine. I hope they are just a small part of the bad tourists.
What you said about the tori gates is awful but I’m not sure if we should judge people by the luggage they bring. When Japanese people used to visit my town more often before the downturn they also brought wheeled suitcases.
I think it’s become so popular/trendy to go to Japan and now the bogans and worst tourists have stopped going to Bali and Thailand are now going to Japan. So yes the wrong type of tourists with less respect. I think it also depends when you are in Japan as to if there’s over tourism. Chinese new year is hectic.
In the 80s i arrived from Australia to London...and all we saw was Australians drunk in the streets and being loud and obnoxious. It was so embarassing we pretended we couldnt speak English! I think its nothing new that this happens in japan too, when ppl travel they think nobody can observe their behaviour so they can do what they want
So much clickbait on UA-cam regarding over tourism in Japan. But today through customs at Fukuoka international airport there were mainly Asian tourists queued in the foreign visitors lines. There were many tourists in Seoul also. People are travelling after Covid.
I'm here right now as a tourist.. I think I'm tokyo the people out there are frustrated with the language barriers. We needed help at a train station, my Google maps stopped functioning. The staff was frustrated and overwhelmed with all the questions, I felt bad.
@@NatsuN-x7y We moved onto nikko today out in the countriside...the difference is night and day,. People are so kind here to us. I was a bit traumatized by that situation, i love the countryside of japan now :) I will try more countryside places now.
@@yaminogame7805 Happy to hear you are enjoying your trip :D I live in Shikoku now but used to live in Tokyo and Nagoya. It feels like it's a different country here. Countryside Japan is a Totoro world in real life 🏞️😄🐒🦛
If there are not that many foreign tourists, the Japan local economy would be much worse with the growing population of seniors who do spend as much as other generations.
You are correct in saying that it is the quality of the tourists but the quantity. People today don’t know how to behave themselves. Their lack of respect for other cultures is very disturbing. When I was young my parents always tell us when we travel to adhere to the culture and tradition of the land. Guess today travellers have no concept of that. I am sorry that Japan has to deal with these idiots. Another reason why we canned out plans of going to Japan. Don’t feel the need to deal with morons overseas when we have to deal with them locally. My sincere apologizes
Many things causing the tourist boom, as a result you're seeing more and more bad eggs. The rise of the "wannabe influencer" going to all tourist locations and ignoring everyone else so they can get their shot..... its so bad right now. 15 years ago, it was very much driven by culture. Things will eventually settle down. I hope Japan can remain Japan. I did notice the lack of cigarette and alcohol vending machines on the street of late though..
Statistically, no. The number of tourists visiting Japan in 2023 were only 80% of the pre-pandemic level. Maybe 2024 will surpass that number? Don't know..
I don’t really understand the Shibuya issue. It’s not really a residential area. Try to find buildings on suumo you won’t find any. All are comercial buildings.
Everyone wants to go to Japan because they love the clean area, the kindness of the people, they love the culture and they love Tokyo Disneyland and Fantasy Springs.. People feel safe in japan.
Your perspective is valuable. Especially when visiting Japan, it may be wise to avoid traveling during China's major holidays. Currently, flight prices from China to Japan are quite affordable.
Unfortunately, over tourism is not unique to Japan. One of the major issue stems from social media. Unless you have some background of the country, whether it is the streamer or viewer, it may be difficult to determine the intent of what is viewed. Viewers will see what they want. They will probably believe a sensational story or beautiful location. Age can make a difference too. And then you have the popularity contest. So "real" can be an open question.
Portugal is suffering from tourism like you Said, due to those low class tourists. Most come as tourist but on fact they come to work for a batter life
We have pumpkin seeds but def not fresh ones from a delicious orange pumpkin! 🎃 we’ll go to the states for trick or treating when he’s a little older 😉
The whole world is turning into Disneyland, has been for decades. The internet, smartphones, and rising affluence in what were once developing countries have only accelerated the process. Why they ever built Disneyland Paris, I don’t know. Paris is Disneyland. Same thing for Disneyland Tokyo. The Ginza? Golden Gai? Hakone? Kamakura? Mt. Fuji? Come on. Some love Disneyland. Some don’t. Count me among those who don’t. But, sheet, here I am following the herd to Japan. Praying there’s a shred of authenticity left somewhere that hasn’t been contaminated by the toxic tourist-local dynamic.
Tourists from Mainland China 🇨🇳 are mostly the tourists who drag luggages from place to place. Westerners who are tourists don’t drag luggages like the mainland Chinese 🇨🇳 do.
I've never traveled anywhere in my life so I figure Japan next November is a good way to break out of a boring cycle of work and do something different. I definitely don't want to be part of the invading horde and I have good manners... I also don't want to be around the invading horde with bad manners. Imagine going all the way across the world to be surrounded by loud rude idiots that think someone else's country is a theme park for their enjoyment. Hopefully I can figure out an itinerary featuring destinations that aren't the biggest tourist spots.
Kyoto is the worse of the major cities, personally I would outright avoide it right now. I went not long after japan first opened to tourists after the pandemic and it was great, transport wasn't crowded, hotshots were easy to get around and see everything. No overcrowding. Went this week on my most recent trip and it was awful, I would of avoided it if my gf wasn't keen on going.
Even for us Japanese, it's difficult to visit Kyoto's famous tourist spots like Kiyomizu Temple or Fushimi Inari Shrine anymore. However, one advantage we have is that we can seek out hidden gems and enjoy sightseeing while avoiding the crowds.
@@adamcave7731 Thank you so much. However, there are plenty of other charming places aside from the famous spots, so we can still enjoy those. For better or worse, that's the option we have left.
@@gotakazawa408 May I ask when is peak season during autumn? would love to visit japan for the first time to kyoto and enjoy the city also avoid the crowd
@@diawannoto Personally, I believe that autumn is the best season to visit Japan. From October to November, there are no major holidays in the country. The national holidays during this period are as follows, and when combined with weekends, they create three-day weekends: the third Monday in October (Sports Day), November 3rd (Culture Day), and November 23rd (Labor Thanksgiving Day). If November 3rd or 23rd falls on a Sunday, the following Monday will be a holiday, resulting in a three-day weekend. However, this information primarily pertains to Japanese visitors, as international tourists have recently outnumbered Japanese tourists, making it challenging to accurately predict peak times. I hope you have a wonderful trip!
Hey John, I think over-tourism can't really be defined, it is in the eye of the beholder, individually as a tourist or citizen, or collectively as a town, city, or country. I just got back from Japan where I led my cousin and 3 friends on a 15-day trip to Osaka, Nara, Kobe, Kyoto, Kanazawa, Karuizawa, Tokyo, and Kawaguchiko. I've been to Japan a dozen times and still keep in touch with family there. Of course they wanted to go where everyone else goes (Osaka, Kyoto, and Tokyo), but I wanted to show them Kanazawa and Karuizawa in contrast...and they loved it. They didn't care for the crowds, especially in Kyoto (specifically in Higashiyama and at Fushimi Inari). They loved Kenrokuen, we had tea and wagashi at the tea house there, and it was very pleasant not seeing crowds of people walking around the garden, it was peaceful and you could really enjoy the beauty. They also really like Karuizawa, and although we only spent a few hours there, they said they would like to go back there again. As for me and my wife, we like the less crowded places. We used to love going to Miyajima, but the shopping street there has become too commercialized for us, and tourists now know to stay over on the island, which drove ryokan prices way up.
Greetings John Daub, interesting topic. Japan should be grateful that tourists are choosing to visit Japan given the decline in Japan’s manufacturing and economic status globally minus the menace to Japanese society. John Daub, Apple Intelligence is a game changer however, iPhone 15 or higher is needed to take advantage of Apple Intelligence. Thanks for sharing.
I think Japanese really dislike tourist nowadays. I am in Fuji Kawaguchiko right now, and the Shinkansen ticket office staff at Odarawa used F-word on us. We made some enquiries in a polite way, that is how the staff treated us. So sad and disappointed.
May I clarify something? In Japanese, there isn't an equivalent to the strong F-word in English. If the person you mentioned works at the Shinkansen ticket counter in Otaru, I assume they are JR Hokkaido staff. Did the staff member speak to you in English and actually use the F-word?
@gotakazawa408 He said the Fxxk word (in English) on me. He is the staff at Odarawa Station. I wrote an email to Shinkansen Todaido office, hopefully they will look into the matter.
@@pslee5616 I sympathize with you deeply. Was his English fluent? I ask because, as you may know, Japanese people have very limited opportunities to speak English in daily life, and I personally think the likelihood of someone spontaneously using the F-word is even lower than the chance of having high-end sushi abroad.
@gotakazawa408 He keep answering " I don't know" with frustration. So I requested politely if someone who is able to speak English could help me. He replied he didn't know again with frustration again. I wrote to the relevant department and I am not sure if they even bother to investigate this. Thank you for hearing me out. 🙂
So did you at any point try to use translator or just kept bombarding him with english? If the latter, I totally understand his frustration and that you're the "karen" of the story.
This guy swears he’s not part of problem, acts like he’s full Japanese😂 or acts like he isn’t part of the problem. Reality check, you’re not Japanese, look at your skins tone. You may live there but you’re still looked down upon by them, keep it real.
I definitely do not think I’m Japanese. I’ve said 100x or more I wouldn’t have any value to Japan if I were. Reality check 😂 what does that mean? I live here, work here, pay taxes here and have a lot at stake in Japan’s success.
Tourists need to have a "visit japan-test" before coming in. Once someone not pass the minimum point of test, the embassy won't give the visa. Hope that'll solve the problem🫠
Well, I'm here in Tokyo since the end of September and, apart on trains at rush hours, I didn't saw all these tourist here around.
Of course, Skytree and I guess Asaskusa still be crowded but if you get out a bit of these places you can't see and find that many tourists.
Then of course, if you plan to visit only the places where all the people goes, you got your answer guys 😆
Tokyo, or Japan in general, for me doesn't mean only "the most known places" but explore.
Ah, I was in Nikko on Tuesday and, it was basically empty.
Most of the tourist I saw was Japanese.
I go to Japan every end of year (except for covid era), I can see an increase of tourists in Tokyo more than anywhere else in Japan. Last year it bothered me a bit specially in Tsukiji where some people were not following the norm when eating at a sushi bar, being loud while eating or talking on speaker phone while waiting to be seated. ZipAir flight ticket roundtrip is only 400$ between LAX-NRT for October/November, the quality of tourists coming in is the problem.
I came back from a 2 week Tokyo trip a week ago but didn't really see much tourists. Even the touristy places didn't feel that jam packed, I could walk there easy. The biggest problem where the Chinese tourist groups who just didn't know how to behave.
i walk through shinjuku everyday and 40% of people are tourists/ distinctively not japanese. but in smaller neighborhoods there are a lot less tourists so i see where you're coming from.
Hey John. I’ve been watching Only in Japan since before I even moved here in 2015 (as well as your appearances on Tokyo Eye). Your commentaries on current events in Japan are always thoughtful, insightful, and unbiased. You’re never afraid to call out foreigner’s bad behavior or Japan’s sometimes asinine reactive policies. You’re doing an invaluable service to Japan’s foreign residents, prospective tourists, and Japan in general. Keep up the good work 🤘
I agree with you 💯 He is super talented to present things from the neutral point and also gives very warm and positive vibe at the same time. One and only 🎉
yeah but its also bringing in money for the economy. Can you imagine what they did to Thailand?
Anywhere people are drinking there are problems-its not just Shibuya. Shibuya is actually pretty tame compared to other drinking districts in other countries.
That is so true!!!! I won't name the district, but there are times I would go out for a drink, and people would go to this bar plastered drunk already. I don't go there often as it's not my regular. But, it's just way worse than shibuya.
As a Japanese person who has seen Shibuya's history for a long time, I think it's getting worse every year. Of course, tourists aren't the only cause. We find comfortable places other than Shibuya to enjoy the nightlife.
@@gotakazawa408 Blaming the tourist is like blaming immigrants for the decadence of the system. Cheers!
@@OjoRojo40 it's a collaboration between some rude tourists and some Japanese people who jumped on the bandwagon. Cheers!
Compared to Paris, Tokyo is very tame.
No. Amsterdam is overtourism. In the centre of Amsterdam no Dutch is sproken. It is 80% not natives. All is AirBnB and hotels, no one lives there. THAT is over tourism.
I am a Japanese person living in the countryside, and I occasionally speak with tourists from overseas. While most conversations are brief, I've noticed that visitors from the Netherlands often praise their experiences in Japan, including the beauty of the mountains and the weather. Interestingly, they also express concerns about tourism in their own country. Curious about this, I did some research and found that there was a 'Stay Away' campaign in 2023, and Amsterdam’s tourist tax is set to increase from 7% to 12.5% in January 2024, making it the highest in Europe. By the way, they also skillfully use bicycles to travel around Japan, which I personally admire about their culture.
Amsterdam is verschrikkelijk. Woon er bijna mijn hele leven. Ging vroeger zo graag 'de stad' in. Nu is er weinig meer van over. Niemand spreekt inderdaad Nederlands. Sowieso word je nu bijna overal in het Engels aangesproken...in elke kledingwinkel, in restaurants etc. Amsterdam heeft totaal geen charme meer voor mij. Daarom ga ik graag naar Japan haha.
@@kawaiipanda1974 Ik begrijp het. De Nederlandse vrouw met wie ik sprak, vertelde dat haar broer accountant is en in Japan woont. Ze kwam naar Japan om hem te bezoeken en tegelijkertijd te touren. Haar broer heeft zijn driejarige contract in Japan afgerond, maar hij heeft zijn contract verlengd en is nu bezig aan zijn vierde jaar. Ik hoop dat je Japanse reis nog steeds geweldig is. Trouwens, ik spreek geen Nederlands, dus ik gebruik een vertaalapp om dit te schrijven. Ik hoop dat ik het goed overbreng.
@@gotakazawa408 Hi, thank you for your comment and taking the time to react. At the end of November we will be travelling to Japan for the 6th time. We have been all over the world and never wanted to visit a country/city twice....until we experienced Japan. Now we are hooked, haha. The Japanese people are so kind and I love how organized everything is. In Amsterdam I get annoyed so quickly and in Japan I have not experienced a single irritation. I don't think I would blend in in the work environment, but I have deep respect for the people of Japan.
having been to amsterdam, you’re right,.. i hardly heard any dutch
Good perspective, John. It's always nice to see issues through your eyes. I enjoy your point of view. Agreed. Tourists do not have shame, and they are not respectful of the law. It's a sad situation. I hope Japan doesn't take any of the shenanigans from tourists!
Thanks John for this topic of overtourism. During my visit I noticed that many tourists are not conscious that they are annoying the locals in various ways. For example talking loud in the public transport. Touching evening hurting the local people with their big backpacks without realising it. Blocking the way while walking on the pavements.
In short I guess the issue is the lack of concern and respect for the locals, not the overtourism. ❤
Spot on！ "When in Rome, do as the Romans do"
It is really more targeted to specific parts of Tokyo that may experience some overtourism , definitely not the entite city. Even in kyoto, not every area is the same. There are still many temples that would love to get some extra tourism. Example, fushimi inari shrine may get a lot of tourism, but the sake village near it probably doesn't. Same for asakusa , just a few minutes away is sumida and oshiage which doesn't really have that much crowd.
As a resident, I am tired of the badly behaving tourists. From the idiots doing Yoga poses at temples, acting up on trains or standing around drinking.... Yea no thanks
Hi John, is it over tourism or too many ignorant and rowdy people not caring they’re imposing on locals and people getting to work?
I think you nailed it - the quality of the tourist is the issue, it’s not just Americans, I think there’s a lot of people that just travel without respecting that country’s culture.
I agree. While the quality of tourists is one factor, the behavior of the Japanese crowd that gathers in Shibuya has also noticeably declined over the past 30 years. (I spent my university years around Shibuya.) Even among Japanese people, those with good sense tend to dislike the current chaos of Shibuya. Unless there's a specific reason to go, most Japanese in their 30s and older generally choose other areas of Tokyo.
@@gotakazawa408 Mmm, interesting locals are finding other places to go, makes sense though.
@@Aiken47 In reality, when we want to enjoy a relaxed dinner and nightlife, we often avoid Shibuya and Shinjuku and instead head to Akasaka or Ginza.
It’s not that over tourism is a problem, it’s how some tourist behave.
Just three years ago the Japanese economy, especially in the small tourist destinations, was struggling with the lack of tourists allowed. So many businesses had to close and the news kept being bleak about them. Now the tourists have returned and are boosting the economy but for some reason are hated. I think Japan (or their media) just wanted to have their cake and eat it too.
they're hated for their obnoxious entitled behavior.
I think a lot of comments here are dangerously close to shaming working class people. It’s important to clarify ‘low class’ means people without respect and full of ignorance. It’s not a direct reflection on someone’s socioeconomic status. Shameless people come from all walks of life. Rich people are just as likely to be as disrespectful as the next person.
I think the tourist hotspots of Japan are no different whatsoever to any other popular destinations around the world. If you live in a popular destination then you will get a larger amount of disrespectful people coming. It happens everywhere.
Let’s not fall into the trap of vilifying visitors. It’s one world, we are all (mostly) free to travel it. With the good comes the bad. Just try to focus on the positives.
@@richardingram2374 I 100% agree with you. I live in a touristy city in the US, and I also happen to be Japanese and visit Tokyo often. You take the good with the bad. We don’t need to turn people into the problem or create problems where they don’t exist.
Next thing you know people will say that the tourists are eating the cats and dogs.
I'd give a qualified "yes", on the basis that Tokyo is so intense and full of interesting stuff that it outdraws other parts of Japan that are just as interesting, if perhaps not as vibrant. I'm going back in February and intend to explore mainly rural areas.
I appreciate this non-sensationalized take on this topic. I’ve visited many places with way more of a tourism problem than Japan.
I've been in Japan for the last 2 weeks. Thanks for all the great info! Kyoto, super busy, Osaka and Hiroshima are not too bad. Love Tokyo.
I'm in nikko almost nobody in comparison to tokyo.. out here, its fabulous.
@@yaminogame7805 Did you travel via Shimo-Imaichi Station?
Thank you, John. I enjoy all your reports. I just came back from Japan two weeks ago and it was my first visit. It was very crowded in Kyoto and Tokyo when I was there, but I managed to enjoy my short stay, five nights in Kyoto and three nights in Tokyo, with two nights at an Onsen in Kanazawa sandwiched in between the two big cities. I must say the two nights at the onsen was a perfect rest stop and I enjoyed wonderful Kaiseki cuisine.
30 years ago when I was younger, I had hoped to go to Japan, but could not afford to. Now that I can afford traveling Japan does seem very crowded in some spots, but Japan needs tourism. It seems people are overcrowding at the temples just to take photos of themselves in kimonos. I don’t know how much new tourists to Japan appreciate the traditional culture. I hope to come back another time to check out more of the country. Best of luck to you!
Hi, John. I think both SHINJUKU and AKIHABARA are also popular destinations for tourists in addition to SHIBUYA.
MEIJI Shrine would also be a tourist spot as well….
Interesting. I happened to visit Barcelona this summer. There were so many places off the tourist track that were super empty, or locals only. It was lovely! I was super nervous considering all I’d heard about the over tourism, not to mention the local protests.
As I get further into the video, I couldn’t agree more with what you said about the current tourists! I’ve been visiting since 2010 (I’m in my late 30s now, started coming in my early 20s) as a life long lover of Japanese culture. Highly prone to shame 😂 I can’t stand the tourists who visit without studying, or at least respecting, the culture. Everything felt, and still feels, reverent when I visit. I’m thankful to continue visiting, and I hope that the Japanese people know that there are foreigners who want to respect them and their home.
Also, love Tokyo Cheapo! What a great site; I visit often!
When it comes to the Shibuya halloween, based on last year it will go by without much of a fuss. In the end, it always was 99% locals and just a few tourist, and with those locals staying at home or going elsewhere and thus most of the whole event gone, not much reason for tourist to hang out there either.
Thank you, John for the over tourism problem they have in Japan now I can feel better about my trip to Japan. That’s coming up in three weeks.🤞
This is my third trip to Japan. Second time with my daughter. I travel to see my brother Hiroshi and his family. We met in college and have children similar ages. Japan and Tokyo are astounding to me and I have been traveling internationally since I was 18 in the USAF. There is just something about Japan that calls. It feels like a second home you can’t visit all the time. Japan is special and I am grateful I can share it with my daughter. Gods creation is astounding.
..... do you still advice to go to Kawaguchiko - thinking of going there for our trip. What are better alternatives to Kawaguchiko??
Everyone now has wheeled suit cases AND backpacks 🔥 leave the suitcase and stuff at the hotel or whatever and then explore the city, countryside, etc with your backpack 😄
Haha yeah I don't get this. Was in the Imperial Palace garden and a tourist family were literally walking around with their wheeled suitcases. Why?
Many of the Asian people with suitcases are chinese buying for their clients and I believe that’s actually illegal.
I would love to see a podcast on these subjects.
I agree 100%, it’s the quality of the tourist. In addition to a needed high tourist tax there should be a means test.
Venice introduced a tourism tax recently. I think it is voluntary to pay now but will be a requirement in the future. It gets so bad on weekends that certain bridges are hard to cross and locals avoid certain areas flooded with people from out of town. Paris and London may also have a tourism tax in the future.
If in your culture you are taught to feel shame regarding certain behaviors but in another culture they aren't taught that... Why would you expect those people to automatically feel shame? They were raised differently, that doesn't make them bad or wrong. Something that may be obvious to you as "good" or "appropriate" behavior may be so foreign to someone else that they don't realize it's even an issue.
I would say yes, there is a problem. A hotel rooms begin easily at 10k Yen, where I paid 6k in 2022. My girlfriend has to take an exam in Hiroshima and just can't afford it with her Konbini job. Saying people in Shibuya are not affected, because the local community is away from the scramble is also kind of hard to believe. You would expect the local community (to want) to frequent those places.
If you can afford to live in Shibuya, you don’t have any financial issues resulting from over tourism. The aren’t too many tourists, just poorly mannered tourists. Most locals (I lived in Setagaya) don’t frequent Hachiko scramble for food. Out of town Japanese and tourists. Locals will visit places in their neighborhoods, maybe Sangenjaya :) much better vibe but I shouldn’t be promoting it 😂
The problen shows themselves with the increase of incidents with rude foreigners. But Japan also needs toerism.
I know local people tend to use couriers for their luggage in Japan but let’s not harp on foreigners for bringing wheeled luggage on their trip and label them as “low quality”.
Even though i didn’t saw this completely from the start i still liked this and the topic was quite interesting🤔Overtourism probably isn’t the major issue considering those problems but the certain types of people that can’t behave and causing problems🤔These are my opinions only in the certain level but ,tourism brings incomes so that’s is a so called ”two barrel ” problem🤔Thank you for sharing this John🙂👍!!!
16:50 this exactly! I could not agree more with you on that. Every time I see a video showing a normal thing from Japan but that to them is "Crazy!" or "Soo weird" makes me cringe. It's pretty rude for a foreigner to say that a local's normal thing is weird or crazy, makes me think they're uneducated. It would be better if they'd use "interesting" instead of over reacting.
That's everywhere, not just Japan.
You can look at 'over tourism' from the viewpoint of the area/city/town. But you can also look at it from the tourist. Now i don't travel anymore (age). But i am grateful that i have been to many (tourist) area's and did not have to move around in very crowded areas. It does't look to be fun anymore.
I have seen some videos of locals being upset with the Chinese tourist. Obviously there is little to no context of some of these posts so I'm not sure how true they are. But I have seen complaint of mainland Chinese in Hong Kong as well, a little different but still a possible common denominator.
I think Asakusa and Shibuya are groaning a bit under the weight of foreign tourist numbers. I dont like to ascribe class to the issue as I've seen plenty of wealthy upper class types behave abominably too. I'd put it down to complete ignorance.
But there are also many locals who like Asakusa, so it's pretty crowded 😅
25:06 Muji Ginza. I was just there this Sunday Oct 13 before leaving Japan to Canada (via LAX). It was a great 2 week experience. However, I did not like that there were no benches to sit down anywhere from all the walking. No garbage bins to throw away your trash away (except at Narita airport). Small little things but overall great experience except Hakone…too many train transfers.
I had been in japan 5 times as a tourist. In tokyo I do not really see that increase on crowd size. Shibuya always had his queue in hachico statue, the town plaza has the same amount of people.
What I saw was a increase on local towns in those day trips zones. Nara is packed in the first temple, park, but you walk some more and the other great shrines/temples have only japanese people there.
Same for kamakura. The main streen is packed, the great buda is packed with tourist, but the back streets and shrines/temples have none.
call Ai knows that I was in Shinjuku in June, where I stay because I need access to all parts of the city, and I have never seen the sea of non-Japanese people. What was really hysterical is that the last time I was in that particular area it was full of people trying to get me into their host clubs. I had to explain to another gas at my hotel that notice the red light district is right next-door that had arrived a few years earlier he was in the middle of it. I think the over tourism will calm down as the exchange rate stabilizes, but it shouldn't do that before January because I have a big Blu-ray order that I need to be cheaper ;)
Spot on about Kyoto and other cities who complain about tourists. If they catered for them a bit better, they would make a lot of money and the locals would not be as affected by tourists.
I went to Golden Gai last night and it was 95% tourists, that's a huge change from the last time I was here. It seems to discourage locals from going because of the crowds.
Living in Hawai'i, yeah, overtourism can be a big problem. A lot depends on the quality of the visitor, but, Hawai'i, with a population of 1.4 million, versus 9+ million visitors, it can be overwhelming.
I would think that Tokyo versus tourist, the ratio isn't as strong, maybe 1:1 in 2024?
9:02 I think the word you were looking for is, "quantify" 😃 ...Hey, it happens to the best of us. Great livestream, John!!
QUANTIFY! Yes 🙌
PLEASE DONATE TO SUPPORT ONLY IN JAPAN GO!!! HE WORKS VERY HARD TO KEEP HIS CHANNEL INTERESTING!
In certain places, you expect the international population (like in Hong Kong and NYC). In other places, when you come face to face with an unexpected international population, it can clash with idealized expectations, and the result is a slight negative feeling. I think that for Tokyo, a lot of people have the idealized mental framework. The idea is that Japan is for Japanese, so getting there and suddenly seeing a lot of foreign faces feels like a contradiction. Especially for those only visiting the city, it seems to detract from the authenticity of the travel experience.
I do think that there is something lost with extensive tourism, and this is a part of it.
If you want to talk about over tourism, spare a thought for the tiny picturesque Austrian village of Hallstatt, which has a population of only 778, but after being featured in a popular K-drama, receives between 10,000 to 30,000 tourists per day at the peak of tourism season.
Hi John, just caught themed of the stream, and rewatched. Question is when a country or town has over tourism, then due to this, puts in place things which reduce tourist coming or to keep an area as it was traditionally, ie such as in Kyoto with the Geisha district, at what level do think that this would affect the local economy due to less tourisism ? I do think that this has been or is a current issue in places in Europe and possibly. some places in Japan, but when tourism becomes a main stay of an area, and then disappears, what happens to the people who relied on work, based on tourism? Yes there has to be an exceptable level to keep a balance, but this always seems like a knee jerk reaction, which sometimes goes too far, and hurts rather than helps the economy and the people who rely on that’s sort of work. Anyway, thank you for an interesting and thought provoking stream, it certainly made me think.
I love how you see things in a positive way! Great talk!
Americans are traveling. Doesn’t excuse the disrespect but Americans travel. Japan literally doesn’t boarder any country. I travel a lot and respect Japan so please don’t generalize Americans. I’ve seen disrespect coming from all travelers in Japan. I spend a lot of time in Japan and find disrespect comes from all walks of life.
Tourism in Japan certainly is rapidly increasing and it has increased a lot since I first came in 2013. Though the numbers are still well below that of France, Spain, Mexico, Turkey, Italy, the UK, Austria, Germany, Thailand, etc (Japan doesn't even crack the Top 10 most visited countries - And are 3rd in the Top 3 most visited countries in Asia).
Aside from how the majority of tourism is heavily concentrated on specific parts of Japan (Tokyo, Kyoto). I feel that a lot of the issues are being caused (and/or made worse) by Japan's inability to be flexible and to think out of the box to come up with solutions to problems.
Hello from my hometown of Los Angeles, California!
I saw orange pumpkins in a farmer stand in Mori just two days ago. Along with kobucha.
as expected when raised the jr pass so high ,initially the tourist would gone to other prefecture touring now due to the raised in jr pass many tourist should give up plans moving to other prefectures and just stay or visit just nearby .
I think we and the media sometimes confuse over tourism with poorly-behaving tourists. I would say places like Kyoto and its surrounding areas are the ones suffering from overtourism because their public transport system and streets are being choked, the quality of life of the residents has deteriorated because so many tourists are in town. With Shibuya, Kawaguchiko Lawson, the Mt Fuji road bridge, I would consider that poor behaviour on the part of tourists. Spreading tourists out to less-populated areas isn’t gonna solve that problem, in fact it’s gonna be helish for the residents who have hardly ever encountered tourists. I know 80% of people watching these videos are well behaved and not idiots who saw Japan on social media and want to go there and do all the trendy stuff, so we should be respectful to the locals, smile and try to interact with them. Then we will leave a positive impression, the more that happens, the less instances we see Japanese media coverage of “over tourism”.
Japanese Tourist Board said 80% of tourists in Japan are the Japanese themselves. Same situation as in the US, Europe in general, and etc. I am from the US and do most of my tourism in the US, Hawaii, except will be going to Japan 1st time in a few days. Tourist only go to tourist areas, and tourists don't go to the rest of the city where people work and live nothing to see or do there.
I enjoyed some part of the live stream had too watch another video I’ll watch the rest later hope you have a great time
With technology like social media that captures everything everywhere everytime a person visits as a tourist.. It is bound to happen.
ultimately - tokyo is a value destination for many many many countries. you said it yourself with the recent disney video. real talk - if you can get cheap airline tickets from the US, it's a better value to do a tokyo trip, than say a trip to disneyworld or disneyland! And while the yen was starting to get strong recently, as of this writing it's back to 150 to the US Dollar.
They announced Shibuya Halloween is “canceled” again this year 😂
backpackers are long gone, what we have now are social media tourist. They visit a country to post in social media, that's why they have huge wheeled suitcases filled with different "outfit for the day"
An influencer was reported in the media for posting videos of herself doing pull-ups on a torii gate at a shrine. I hope they are just a small part of the bad tourists.
What you said about the tori gates is awful but I’m not sure if we should judge people by the luggage they bring. When Japanese people used to visit my town more often before the downturn they also brought wheeled suitcases.
Wasn't expecting John to bring up immigrants in NYC as if it's a bad thing.
I think it’s become so popular/trendy to go to Japan and now the bogans and worst tourists have stopped going to Bali and Thailand are now going to Japan.
So yes the wrong type of tourists with less respect.
I think it also depends when you are in Japan as to if there’s over tourism.
Chinese new year is hectic.
In the 80s i arrived from Australia to London...and all we saw was Australians drunk in the streets and being loud and obnoxious. It was so embarassing we pretended we couldnt speak English! I think its nothing new that this happens in japan too, when ppl travel they think nobody can observe their behaviour so they can do what they want
So much clickbait on UA-cam regarding over tourism in Japan. But today through customs at Fukuoka international airport there were mainly Asian tourists queued in the foreign visitors lines. There were many tourists in Seoul also. People are travelling after Covid.
I'm here right now as a tourist.. I think I'm tokyo the people out there are frustrated with the language barriers. We needed help at a train station, my Google maps stopped functioning. The staff was frustrated and overwhelmed with all the questions, I felt bad.
Sorry about the situation. Come venture out to the countryside where life flows much slower. Tokyo doesn't showcase the real Japan ;)
I'm in nikko right now, the people here are so kind. We got lost again and even the train conductor was very kind and understanding. @@NatsuN-x7y
@@NatsuN-x7y We moved onto nikko today out in the countriside...the difference is night and day,. People are so kind here to us. I was a bit traumatized by that situation, i love the countryside of japan now :) I will try more countryside places now.
@@yaminogame7805 Happy to hear you are enjoying your trip :D I live in Shikoku now but used to live in Tokyo and Nagoya. It feels like it's a different country here. Countryside Japan is a Totoro world in real life 🏞️😄🐒🦛
If there are not that many foreign tourists, the Japan local economy would be much worse with the growing population of seniors who do spend as much as other generations.
You are correct in saying that it is the quality of the tourists but the quantity. People today don’t know how to behave themselves. Their lack of respect for other cultures is very disturbing. When I was young my parents always tell us when we travel to adhere to the culture and tradition of the land. Guess today travellers have no concept of that. I am sorry that Japan has to deal with these idiots. Another reason why we canned out plans of going to Japan. Don’t feel the need to deal with morons overseas when we have to deal with them locally. My sincere apologizes
Many things causing the tourist boom, as a result you're seeing more and more bad eggs. The rise of the "wannabe influencer" going to all tourist locations and ignoring everyone else so they can get their shot..... its so bad right now.
15 years ago, it was very much driven by culture. Things will eventually settle down. I hope Japan can remain Japan.
I did notice the lack of cigarette and alcohol vending machines on the street of late though..
John: "The quality of people coming here, they don't have shame. And Japanese can't understand that."
Me: "Yup, I know what country you mean." 😅
Statistically, no. The number of tourists visiting Japan in 2023 were only 80% of the pre-pandemic level. Maybe 2024 will surpass that number? Don't know..
I don’t really understand the Shibuya issue. It’s not really a residential area. Try to find buildings on suumo you won’t find any. All are comercial buildings.
Everyone wants to go to Japan because they love the clean area, the kindness of the people, they love the culture and they love Tokyo
Disneyland and Fantasy Springs..
People feel safe in japan.
Your perspective is valuable. Especially when visiting Japan, it may be wise to avoid traveling during China's major holidays. Currently, flight prices from China to Japan are quite affordable.
Dilution of culture example: saw my first tip jar at the register of Gyukatsu Motomura, main store!
Unfortunately, over tourism is not unique to Japan. One of the major issue stems from social media. Unless you have some background of the country, whether it is the streamer or viewer, it may be difficult to determine the intent of what is viewed. Viewers will see what they want. They will probably believe a sensational story or beautiful location. Age can make a difference too. And then you have the popularity contest. So "real" can be an open question.
It's really tourists behaving badly and not respecting the rules.
tokyo is so large.. most places aren’t over populated by tourists
There are a lot of tourists but all concentrated in the tourist areas. If you go to the suburbs there's not many tourists.
Hey John, what about the “over” tourism from your business point of view? I’d guess more ppl check in to your channel, no?
Portugal is suffering from tourism like you Said, due to those low class tourists. Most come as tourist but on fact they come to work for a batter life
No pumpkins? Will Leo never taste the delight of freshly oven roasted pumpkin seeds?🍣
We have pumpkin seeds but def not fresh ones from a delicious orange pumpkin! 🎃 we’ll go to the states for trick or treating when he’s a little older 😉
Can also try out kabocha seeds, similar idea
The whole world is turning into Disneyland, has been for decades. The internet, smartphones, and rising affluence in what were once developing countries have only accelerated the process. Why they ever built Disneyland Paris, I don’t know. Paris is Disneyland. Same thing for Disneyland Tokyo. The Ginza? Golden Gai? Hakone? Kamakura? Mt. Fuji? Come on. Some love Disneyland. Some don’t. Count me among those who don’t. But, sheet, here I am following the herd to Japan. Praying there’s a shred of authenticity left somewhere that hasn’t been contaminated by the toxic tourist-local dynamic.
Tourists from Mainland China 🇨🇳 are mostly the tourists who drag luggages from place to place. Westerners who are tourists don’t drag luggages like the mainland Chinese 🇨🇳 do.
Has anyone made square pumpkins over there yet?
Overpriced merch can’t because problem
I've never traveled anywhere in my life so I figure Japan next November is a good way to break out of a boring cycle of work and do something different. I definitely don't want to be part of the invading horde and I have good manners... I also don't want to be around the invading horde with bad manners. Imagine going all the way across the world to be surrounded by loud rude idiots that think someone else's country is a theme park for their enjoyment. Hopefully I can figure out an itinerary featuring destinations that aren't the biggest tourist spots.
Short answer: no.
Kyoto is the worse of the major cities, personally I would outright avoide it right now. I went not long after japan first opened to tourists after the pandemic and it was great, transport wasn't crowded, hotshots were easy to get around and see everything. No overcrowding. Went this week on my most recent trip and it was awful, I would of avoided it if my gf wasn't keen on going.
Even for us Japanese, it's difficult to visit Kyoto's famous tourist spots like Kiyomizu Temple or Fushimi Inari Shrine anymore. However, one advantage we have is that we can seek out hidden gems and enjoy sightseeing while avoiding the crowds.
@@gotakazawa408 I think that is the saddest part that japanese people themselves aren't able to enjoy national hot spots
@@adamcave7731 Thank you so much. However, there are plenty of other charming places aside from the famous spots, so we can still enjoy those. For better or worse, that's the option we have left.
@@gotakazawa408 May I ask when is peak season during autumn? would love to visit japan for the first time to kyoto and enjoy the city also avoid the crowd
@@diawannoto Personally, I believe that autumn is the best season to visit Japan. From October to November, there are no major holidays in the country. The national holidays during this period are as follows, and when combined with weekends, they create three-day weekends: the third Monday in October (Sports Day), November 3rd (Culture Day), and November 23rd (Labor Thanksgiving Day). If November 3rd or 23rd falls on a Sunday, the following Monday will be a holiday, resulting in a three-day weekend. However, this information primarily pertains to Japanese visitors, as international tourists have recently outnumbered Japanese tourists, making it challenging to accurately predict peak times. I hope you have a wonderful trip!
the Japanese just love to complain
Back packers Japanese mistaken them for homeless.
3:59 What does john say here?
oseishimasu?
失礼します。SHI-TSU-RE-SHI-MA-SU.
“Excuse me”
Hey John, I think over-tourism can't really be defined, it is in the eye of the beholder, individually as a tourist or citizen, or collectively as a town, city, or country. I just got back from Japan where I led my cousin and 3 friends on a 15-day trip to Osaka, Nara, Kobe, Kyoto, Kanazawa, Karuizawa, Tokyo, and Kawaguchiko. I've been to Japan a dozen times and still keep in touch with family there. Of course they wanted to go where everyone else goes (Osaka, Kyoto, and Tokyo), but I wanted to show them Kanazawa and Karuizawa in contrast...and they loved it. They didn't care for the crowds, especially in Kyoto (specifically in Higashiyama and at Fushimi Inari). They loved Kenrokuen, we had tea and wagashi at the tea house there, and it was very pleasant not seeing crowds of people walking around the garden, it was peaceful and you could really enjoy the beauty. They also really like Karuizawa, and although we only spent a few hours there, they said they would like to go back there again. As for me and my wife, we like the less crowded places. We used to love going to Miyajima, but the shopping street there has become too commercialized for us, and tourists now know to stay over on the island, which drove ryokan prices way up.
Overtourism....come to Amsterdam!
Greetings John Daub, interesting topic. Japan should be grateful that tourists are choosing to visit Japan given the decline in Japan’s manufacturing and economic status globally minus the menace to Japanese society. John Daub, Apple Intelligence is a game changer however, iPhone 15 or higher is needed to take advantage of Apple Intelligence. Thanks for sharing.
I thought Japan needed foreigners to come 🤔.
I think Japanese really dislike tourist nowadays. I am in Fuji Kawaguchiko right now, and the Shinkansen ticket office staff at Odarawa used F-word on us. We made some enquiries in a polite way, that is how the staff treated us. So sad and disappointed.
May I clarify something? In Japanese, there isn't an equivalent to the strong F-word in English. If the person you mentioned works at the Shinkansen ticket counter in Otaru, I assume they are JR Hokkaido staff. Did the staff member speak to you in English and actually use the F-word?
@gotakazawa408 He said the Fxxk word (in English) on me. He is the staff at Odarawa Station. I wrote an email to Shinkansen Todaido office, hopefully they will look into the matter.
@@pslee5616 I sympathize with you deeply. Was his English fluent? I ask because, as you may know, Japanese people have very limited opportunities to speak English in daily life, and I personally think the likelihood of someone spontaneously using the F-word is even lower than the chance of having high-end sushi abroad.
@gotakazawa408 He keep answering " I don't know" with frustration. So I requested politely if someone who is able to speak English could help me. He replied he didn't know again with frustration again. I wrote to the relevant department and I am not sure if they even bother to investigate this. Thank you for hearing me out. 🙂
So did you at any point try to use translator or just kept bombarding him with english? If the latter, I totally understand his frustration and that you're the "karen" of the story.
This guy swears he’s not part of problem, acts like he’s full Japanese😂 or acts like he isn’t part of the problem. Reality check, you’re not Japanese, look at your skins tone. You may live there but you’re still looked down upon by them, keep it real.
You don’t know much about John hey? He’s not a tourist, he’s a resident. Has been for a couple of decades +
Chill Tony...and your 10 followers 🤣
hes married to a japanese wife.. get your fact straight bro..
@@Aiken47Well said Aiken and true👍
I definitely do not think I’m Japanese. I’ve said 100x or more I wouldn’t have any value to Japan if I were. Reality check 😂 what does that mean? I live here, work here, pay taxes here and have a lot at stake in Japan’s success.
Tourists need to have a "visit japan-test" before coming in. Once someone not pass the minimum point of test, the embassy won't give the visa. Hope that'll solve the problem🫠