Tourism Pollution in Japan

On Japan's list of problems to solve: tourism, and a lot of it. In recent years, there has been an increase in tourism to Japan by 21% (Europe increased by 1%), primarily from China, South Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong, and the US, in that order. This has overwhelmed local governments and transportation systems, frustrated residents, and generally taken the country by surprise. This increase in foreign visitors is concentrated in Kyoto, Tokyo, and Osaka. There seems to be two methods of thought surrounding this issue; some believe that these tourists are hurting local businesses and are having a negative impact on the areas frequented, while others believe that the increase in tourists is crucial for revitalizing some of Japan's less frequented areas and has a positive economic impact. Everyone agrees that there needs to be better, more active management of this tourist influx, because it is without question that tourists are currently very concentrated in popular cities and cultural areas, putting pressure on bus and train systems as well as lodgings and restaurants that are currently not able to keep up with the demand. Additionally, recent years have seen tourist spending drop / plateau, which many point to as a reason that tourism is not as beneficial as others claim, in terms of the impact on local economies.

Currently, the Japanese government hopes for a continued increase in tourism, specifically leading up to the Olympics. A weak yen and more time following Fukushima have both been cited as reasons for the tourism increase, as is active promotion from the Japanese government itself; I see UNESCO's designation of Japanese food, or "washoku," as an "intangible cultural heritage item" (https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2013/12/05/national/japanese-cuisine-added-to-unesco-intangible-heritage-list/#.XM7xrJMzZ0s) as one of the best examples of this, boosting Japan's international prestige in a calculated manner. Specifically in the context of tourists from China, the middle class has been growing, and more and more people have the ability to travel from China around the world. With Japan being so close, and a general increase in travel spending in China, it makes perfect sense that there would be such a sharp increase in Chinese tourists (https://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/destinations/asia/japan/articles/japan-fastest-growing-travel-destination/).  A relaxation in visas for those from Thailand, Malaysia, and the Philippines, Indonesia, and Vietnam has also driven visitors to Japan.  In the wake (or middle) of the massive tourist boom, the main action that the government has taken to mitigate the negative effects of tourism "pollution" has been to crack down on Airbnbs. In 2018, the government passed a new law that required listings to be registered with the government prior to being posted on the site, eliminating a grey area that had previously existed and requiring Airbnb to pay ~ 10 million in refunds to customers with homes booked that were no longer valid listings (https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/jun/15/tourism-pollution-backlash-japan-crackdown-costs-airbnb-10m-kyoto). The goal of this was to move tourists out of more residential areas, in response to complaints of tourists disturbing locals and neighborhoods. These grey area Airbnbs, called "minpaku," were often vacant residences (see: Japan's aging population), which is another issue closely connected with the tourism boom. 

The overarching issue surrounding this problem seems to be a disconnect with government ideals and Japan's reality. The government continues to work to boost tourism, but seems less concerned with what to do with the tourists when they actually arrive in Japan. Many argue that Japan does not need more, but simply more mindful tourists. At the same time, tourism is predicted to become increasingly more important for the government's monetary plans, even though the actual areas affected seem unequipped to support this (https://www.japantimes.co.jp/community/2019/03/20/our-lives/want-fix-problem-tourism-just-look-overseas/#.XM712ZMzZ0s).  <- This article also expresses surprise at the lack of tourist regulation in the country, even citing the fact that few venues and experiences in Japan require prior reservations (a practice common elsewhere), and there is little to no crowd control, especially in historic locations like temples and shrines (hint hint, Fushimi Inari). To me, this problem is an extremely interesting example of major culture clash: the etiquette and behavior that is so important in Japanese culture and allows the society to run smoothly, yet is also majorly unspoken, seems to be completely at odds with how the tourist population behaves. Perhaps the reluctance to introduce harsher rules and regulations -- signs explicitly saying what can and cannot be done, explicit bans, etc is cultural? In such an inwardly focused country, yet one whose government appears determined to expand outwards, it does not seem surprising that tourism has brought cultural friction, but Japan currently seems to be approaching a tourism crossroads and it is unclear what the future will hold.