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Overtourism as of October 2023

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Icyblu

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I’m currently in Japan for vacation for the 3rd time in my life. I was fortunate enough to visit the Kansai area last November right after Japan opened up for tourism. Probably my best experience, as there weren’t many tourists.

Fast forward to October 2023, and it’s a mess. Too many people visiting the same areas and the lack of respect to Japanese way of life is concerning. I see people littering, talking on the subway, people taking random photos of school girls, speaking exclusively in English to staff members, etc.

I was at a cafe in Kyoto today, and overheard a person complain to a barista on why her drip-brewed coffee was taking too long.

Word for word: “Why are you so slow? In China, we are faster”.

I had to alter my itinerary early on this trip. Some areas are so packed that you can’t even hear the Japanese language.

I’m happy many people can now experience Japan, but I really think Japan needs an etiquette video for all flights arriving to Japan.

Probably doesn’t help that the yen is so weak right now. A lot of people trying to get in while their currency is strong.
 
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Not sure if it really worse than before...even years ago before Corona it was horrible there. Groups of overweight Chinese tourisits dressed up in Kimonos visiting the temples 🤣

....but I think every tourist attraction has the same issues. Tourism always attracts a bunch of entitled idiots who think they own the place because they are on vacation. Same shitshow everywhere in the world, not just Japan.
 
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Danbo said:
Not sure if it really worse than before...even years ago before Corona it was horrible there. Groups of overweight Chinese tourisits dressed up in Kimonos visiting the temples 🤣

....but I think every tourist attraction has the same issues. Tourism always attracts a bunch of entitled idiots who think they own the place because they are on vacation. Same shitshow everywhere in the world, not just Japan.
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You mean those people I photographed were not authentic geisha? 😮

But yeah, Japan was great before it came on the radar as a major tourism spot. Travel was more fun in general when it was a more exclusive thing to do. But with current fuel prices it will probably go back to that anyways
 
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I live on the outskirt of Kyoto and when I go for drinks, I don't even think a single second about going to the city center. I go to my local dive or, most of the time, head to Osaka where they are still plenty of places not so touristy.

Kyoto at the moment is quite extreme to say the least :cry:
 
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I feel so incredibly lucky to have experienced Kyoto last October before borders opened. I have a love-hate relationship with that city because in previous travels, I didn't like it at all due to how packed it was (and I realise I was part of the problem, of course). But last year it was as "magical" as all those Youtube videos make it out to be. Then again, this goes for everything in Japan before borders had opened. I've now been to Kyoto a handful of times and unless my brother wants to go to Japan at some point, I probably won't go there again. There are some areas I haven't explored yet that probably do not have as many tourists but it's just not worth going there for me anymore.
 
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We need to go the Bhutan route.

Charge them all 50,000 yen a day for entry and stay, use the funds to pay off the Covid debt. Halve it if they can show certified competency in Japanese. Waive it if they can additionally show competency in at least one Japanese cultural art*.

*Furious wanking to JAV doesn’t count, and neither does a count of the JAV girls you’ve rogered. Unless at least one of them was Matsuko Dekuxe. You deserve a discount if you went there.
 
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Discount? Dude, if you do her you get a place in Valhalla.
 
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For me, it is the groups of tourists who are always the worst. It basically doesn't matter where they come from, when people are in a group they act obnoxious way more often.

Anyway I typically roll my eyes at posts like this, it happens everywhere, everyone hates tourists but then expect things to be cool when they go be a tourist themselves somewhere.
 
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Littering is kind of a culture in some countries (my homecountry is guilty of this that is why I couldn't stand living there. My friends used to mock me for carrying my trash home or finding trash can instead of just throwing it anywhere).

Recently I saw TikTok about tourists complaining that they are not allowed to share ramen and have to buy one for each ( for context they tried to buy 3 bowl of ramen for 6 people).

I remember Chinese tourists won the worst tourist title from American tourists after many incident of public pooping.
 
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kirayamato said:
I remember Chinese tourists won the worst tourist title from American tourists after many incident of public pooping.
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I'm sorry what?

I mean, I've seen enough people having a piss on a wall (and one time in between train carriages in Melbourne) to last a life time, but someone taking a shit in public???

That's a new low for anyone.
 
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qcryp said:
For me, it is the groups of tourists who are always the worst. It basically doesn't matter where they come from, when people are in a group they act obnoxious way more often.
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This is spot on, I noticed this difference between hostessing and one on one paid dates or private SWing.
People who come in groups and drink alcohol love to be rude on purpose to “impress” each other.
 
StillCouldBeWorse said:
someone taking a shit in public???

That's a new low for anyone.
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Yes, a crappy thing to do.

There were a few incidents in Ginza involving denizens of the Middle Kingdom - to be fair, it was mums with young kids letting the kids poop on the street, not adults dropping their drawers. Quite common in many less urban parts of China, even now.
 
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Sudsy said:
We need to go the Bhutan route.

Charge them all 50,000 yen a day for entry and stay, use the funds to pay off the Covid debt. Halve it if they can show certified competency in Japanese. Waive it if they can additionally show competency in at least one Japanese cultural art*.

*Furious wanking to JAV doesn’t count, and neither does a count of the JAV girls you’ve rogered. Unless at least one of them was Matsuko Dekuxe. You deserve a discount if you went there.
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They can book an appointment with me every day to pay their dues. 😂
 
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kirayamato said:
Recently I saw TikTok about tourists complaining that they are not allowed to share ramen and have to buy one for each ( for context they tried to buy 3 bowl of ramen for 6 people).
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Kind of makes sense with how big those bowls are, but they are cheap enough and you also pay for the seats.
So restaurants in china would be cool with two people just ordering one dish and no other extras?

To be fair I have been to ramen with other people and not ordered a bowl myself and gotten away with it, but we’d probably get drinks and side dishes.

Sudsy said:
to be fair, it was mums with young kids letting the kids poop on the street, not adults dropping their drawers. Quite common in many less urban parts of China, even now.
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If you let your dog poo on the street, you might as well let you kid too.
 
Alice said:
Kind of makes sense with how big those bowls are, but they are cheap enough and you also pay for the seats.
So restaurants in china would be cool with two people just ordering one dish and no other extras?
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not too sure if the place provides big portions, but in my experience ramen in japan usually small portion hence the rice on the side or kaedama maybe.

kind of understand the logic of gourmet tourist by ordering portion to share so they dont get full and can try other food but ramen shop is not the place ( there is a ramen shop that ban customer who watch youtube while eating).
 
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I'm just hoping north and east Tokyo are still relatively empty lol. I love spending time in Koto-ku and boomer towns like Uguisudani and people on their trips to Japan never go there.
 
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jhingy567 said:
Everyone loves complaining about the Chinese tourists
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Doubt it is someone's favourite pastime but the numbers they come in obviously makes them stand out. And many do behave poorly, especially the older generation.

Most of my Chinese friends in Japan are embarrassed on behalf of the behaviour of their countrymen.
 
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This topic came up with a provider I met. We both complained that there's too many tourists in Japan, especially in Tokyo.

kirayamato said:
apparently kamakura beat kyoto
https://mainichi.jp/english/articles/20231013/p2a/00m/0na/010000c
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I remember seeing on the news that there was an influx of tourists due to the Slam Dunk film. They were covering it in a positive light. A month or so later, they were showing how the number of tourists was becoming a nuisance to the locals.

kirayamato said:
after many incident of public pooping.
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Is that why some elevators in Singapore have signs saying "Do not pee inside the lift"?
 
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MrDuBois said:
I'm just hoping north and east Tokyo are still relatively empty lol. I love spending time in Koto-ku and boomer towns like Uguisudani and people on their trips to Japan never go there.
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Pretty chill up here mate, quite literally as well given the <5 temps
 
jhingy567 said:
Everyone loves complaining about the Chinese tourists, but in my travel experience I have encountered just as many rude, entitled (and obnoxiously LOUD) Americans.
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Yeah, I found that always to be unfair and downright racists. I myself am an equal opportunity disliker; I don't separate people to tourists and residents, Chinese or Americans. I despise them all the same; get out of my city you fucking foreigners!
 
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