They are blocking streets to take pictures.
Earlier this month, a woman was hit by a train in the port city of Otaru, Hokkaido, Japan. According to her husband, she was taking a picture of a location featured in the 2015 Chinese movie Cities of Love. Large amounts of tourists have started descending on the small city and it’s become a concern for locals. After receiving complaints, tourism officials have now stationed guards to manage the crowds.
Otaru has a famous street, Funami-za, at an elevation that offers views of the port. Tourists flock to this spot, blocking traffic and creating headaches for residents. “Tourists standing on the street or walking side by side often make it impossible for vehicles to pass. The impact on residents has been significant, and this fiscal year has been particularly severe,” a city official said. The narrow street also appeared in the Japanese movie Love Letter, which was a hit in China and Korea.
Eighty-year-old Hidetoshi Itagaki told the Kyodo news agency that tourists enter private property without permission to take photos. The city has posted signs asking tourists to respect their surroundings, but they are often ignored.
Related: Here’s How to Navigate Japan With Kids
Rising Numbers
Japan welcomed 36.8 million tourists in 2024, breaking the 2019 record of 32 million. South Koreans led the charge, with Chinese travelers making up the second-largest group. Tourists spent more than $50 billion in the country last year, providing an economic boon for businesses. The government plans to attract 60 million tourists by 2030, but locals are already feeling the strain across the country.
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Crowded public transportation, rising hotel prices, and littering are among the issues residents face. Additionally, some tourists’ behavior—such as dancing in crowded metros or public spaces and kicking a deer in Nara—has irritated the polite nation, which values rules and customs. Kyoto and Tokyo were included on Fodor’s No List 2025 due to the challenges these popular destinations faced in 2024.
Last year, Kyoto banned tourists from its famous geisha district to protect residents’ privacy. The town of Kawaguchiko installed a screen to block views of Mount Fuji after hordes of tourists blocked streets or trespassed on private property for photos. Climbing Mount Fuji also became more expensive, and authorities capped the number of climbers at 4,000 per day. Japan Airlines introduced a new service that delivers luggage to hotels in Tokyo for a small fee to reduce overcrowding on buses and metros.
However, millions of jobs depend on tourism, making overall management a major focus for Japan. Travelers tend to concentrate in a few areas, including Tokyo, Kyoto, Hiroshima, and Mount Fuji. To alleviate congestion, the government is working to promote regional destinations and activity- and nature-based tourism. Fodor’s Go List 2025 highlighted Nikko as a must-visit destination this year for its forest trails, gushing waterfalls, and pristine landscapes.
With a weaker yen, tourism in Japan is expected to continue growing. But if you want to experience the diverse, beautiful “Land of the Rising Sun,” consider exploring destinations that are slightly off the beaten path.
