Paywall. But aren’t Japanese cities overcrowded even without the tourists? I was recently in Tokyo and it didn’t feel like I had to queue every two minutes because of foreign visitors.
I was there (Kyoto and Tokyo) during peak cherry blossom season just two weeks ago. I had issues with my hotel that management blamed on a shortage of hiring experienced staff after having operated on a skeleton crew for two years. But other than that I did not find the crowds to be too bad. And I definitely visited many typical tourist spots.
JRP price hike should hopefully thin the herd.
I mean… I was there in feb-March this year and it was almost dead. Or at least it felt like it. The biggest amount of tourists was Tokyo tower on the last night of our stay or Kyoto.
Granted, I was off peak and most areas I went were very specific.
Also… didn’t feel like the cities were that busy! Walk away from big ares and it’s like no one lives there it’s bizarre
I was just there. It’s quite slammed. Even small sushi restaurants had a 30-1hr queue. Book all your tours at least a month in advance, if not sooner. For hotels you have to pay by person not by room. Kyoto is filled with tourists especially. Had to wait like 2.5 hours for Ichiran Ramen 🙁
I went 10 years ago, and god, I was the only gaijin walking around.
Suffering with success /s
I’m in Osaka right now, was in Tokyo for a day about 5 days prior.
Yes there are a bunch of tourists here, but I wouldn’t say the problem is particularly worse than when I was here 5 years ago (both off-season and during peak crowds).
As a Taiwanese I can confirm that Taiwanese people can’t wait to visit Japan after the pandemic lockdown. I have had at least four people I know that have recently traveled to Japan.
I was there in feb and it was definitely crowded in Tokyo and Kyoto, especially Shinjuku and Shibuya. But it was way worse before.
I’m going this juli so I guess I’ll prep to face the horde
I stayed in Chiba for a month and rarely saw a foreigner.
It’s like Costco on a Saturday.
i’ve been seeing chinese tourists since january. maybe not in the numbers before the pandemic but they’re here already.
This is total BS. Was there 2 weeks ago and there were plenty of Chinese tourists. They opened up the country to Chinese tourists mid March. The crowds weren’t even that bad unless you went to the usual busy/crowded spots like Tsukiji outer market.
I was in Tokyo in January for work, and then again in March during cherry blossom season. Difference like night and day, tourism has boomed.
I live in Tokyo, and while I definitely notice more foreigners than I did when the borders were closed, it’s not like we’re wall to wall with tourists or anything. I haven’t noticed anything that has impacted my normal daily life. So don’t go cancelling your travel plans over this article.
I just got back yesterday from two weeks in Japan- did the typical tourist loop of Tokyo, Kyoto, and Osaka (day trips to Hakone and Nara). Kyoto and Hakone were unbearably packed. The busses and shrines were constantly filled to capacity with tourists in Kyoto. In Hakone, the whole loop via public transit (train -> cable train -> ropeway-> boat) were as packed (with toursits) as a Friday night, at capacity, train to Shibuya (with the exception of the ropeway because of weight limits). Extremely difficult to enjoy the views when you can’t even move your arms. Definitely a fair amount of Chinese tourists, but they were mostly concentrated in Kyoto and Osaka. I didn’t even see many tourists in Tokyo, just the sheer volume of people living there are the reason the subways were unpleasant occasionally. Definitely not enough infrastructure to deal with overtourism in Hakone.
Couldn’t eat at any nice restaurants without a reservation a month in advance, and A LOT of restaurants refused to give reservations to non-residents, so we were stuck eating fast food most of the trip. Even attractions like Shibuya Sky had to be booked in advance.
Is this the case everywhere in Japan or just on the golden route? I was thinking of visiting the Japanese Alps/ Chubu this end of September/ October, but I’m wondering if it’ll be too busy…
Source is south China morning post. Any domestic Japanese news reports on this topic?
Every time I get nostalgic for Japan and think about going back for another visit after 5 years, I stumble across an article like this one and hesitate. It was so fun and interesting when I went there in 2018, but I do have to admit that people in Kyoto always seemed kind of irritated even toward tourists who behaved themselves.
Kyoto certainly was beautiful, but I think I had more fun exploring the less-trafficked areas of Tokyo or going a little off the beaten path in Osaka, Nagoya, or Hiroshima. The people were so nice and almost befuddled, like “why would anyone from America want to come here and eat at my place? You’re a weird one.”
Still think I might go back this fall and explore somewhere I didn’t go last time like Hokkaido, but the ticket prices are like…twice what they were last time I visited. It’s a little eye popping how much more expensive plane tickets are, and now I hear this stuff about the JR pass almost doubling in price, too? Damn. It may be open again, but it certainly isn’t easy to just pop in for a visit.
Came back from Japan 3 weeks ago. I would say it is not bad, really depends on the locations.
Was there in march for 15 days during peak cherry blossom. Kyoto had a good amount of Chinese tourists and generally amounts of tourist but honestly if your smart when you go (avoid and weekends and peak day times) it’s totally fine. Tokyo was crazy but I feel that’s way more due to overpopulation and most places are managable. Avoid Harajuku if you can.
Took kids to see the dino exhibit in Ueno this weekend. Was surprised to see so many tourists around there. I did hear lots of Chinese too.
Back to normal I guess.
I’ve had 8 (I counted) separate groups of friends from back home visit Japan over the last 2 months. Everyone’s been bursting to get into Japan since the borders opened. I already heard from 3 other groups of friends who plan to visit later this year too.
I got back from a 2 week trip 1 week ago today, and this is not the case at all. I went to Kyoto, Osaka, Yamagata, and Tokyo.
We were there mid March. First trip so I don’t have anything to compare it to. Definitely a lot of people but the vibe I got were more locals than tourists. I can’t imagine what it was like pre pandemic! I’m Chinese American and noticed a lot of Chinese peeps but the way they were dressed and how their conversations went, I got the vibe that quite a few of them lived/worked there. I’m so glad we went even though I get anxiety around a crowd. It’s such a neat place to visit.
The primary problem is that these stores and restaurants are definitely *not* ready when the borders are fully open
I, a Taiwanese-Canadian, was in Japan in mid March. When I was in places like Fukuoka and Yufuin I was amazed by the amount of Taiwanese tourists there. When I got out of the airport in Fukuoka and got on the shuttle to go to the train station, the people around me were speaking Taiwanese. At a restaurant in Yufuin the peoplle in the two tables next to me were Taiwanese.
A “Japan had 3 years to fix this and did nothing” article *does* trigger a bunch of “I know, right?” emotions for all the similar experiences I’ve had with ineptitude and inertia in Japanese institutions, but this article is a little…
I mean, it doesn’t even interview anyone outside of the tourism industry, does it? Like 2 tour operators and a travel marketing analyst as sources… maybe the problem is more complex than people who make money off of tourism think it is? Or maybe it’s not – in any case, South China Morning Post isn’t going to give us a window onto that.
I do have to say I liked this quote at the end though –
>“I know a lot of Chinese come to Japan, but it is unfair to single out one nationality for problems that can be solved here,” he said. “And I actually like to see groups of Chinese who are visiting Japan for the first time and are clearly as excited as schoolkids and just love the culture here.
Really good to see that reminder that Japanese soft power includes positively influencing Chinese people – at least as long as the nation doesn’t turn their noses up at them. It’s such a nice sentiment, I want to forgive this professional writer with a professional editor forgetting the closing quotation mark at the end of the paragraph.
Just got back from 3 weeks across the country and didn’t have any issue with crowds or anyone being rude to tourists.
>He believes the authorities may have to introduce dynamic pricing policies in some popular locations, making the most popular sites more pricey and encouraging budget travellers to seek out lesser-known gems > >… > > Japan needs to find a way to better manage the regional and seasonal spreads.
I don’t see someone who’s already paid through then nose for the flights and JR pass then trying to save a few dollars by going to some no name town. Also the increase in price of the JR price goes directly against this.
Was in Japan for last two weeks and didn’t seem that overly busy compared to when I went in 16,18 and 19.
Was in Osaka, kyoto and Tokyo and aside from kyoto I never had to wait to get into places to eat, tourist attractions or anything else like that (aside from Nintendo world/universal studios or ichiran ramen but they’ve always been busy).
Even the trains/shinkansen were quieter than normal
Lol I cringe when I see the Chinese tour bus pull up
It’s not as crowed as it was before the pandemic though.
isn’t this great for japan and its local businesses? what would japan be without its tourist economy.
37 comments
I was thinking about going next spring 🤔
Oh no, I’m going in 1 week. 🙈
Paywall. But aren’t Japanese cities overcrowded even without the tourists? I was recently in Tokyo and it didn’t feel like I had to queue every two minutes because of foreign visitors.
I was there (Kyoto and Tokyo) during peak cherry blossom season just two weeks ago. I had issues with my hotel that management blamed on a shortage of hiring experienced staff after having operated on a skeleton crew for two years. But other than that I did not find the crowds to be too bad. And I definitely visited many typical tourist spots.
JRP price hike should hopefully thin the herd.
I mean… I was there in feb-March this year and it was almost dead. Or at least it felt like it. The biggest amount of tourists was Tokyo tower on the last night of our stay or Kyoto.
Granted, I was off peak and most areas I went were very specific.
Also… didn’t feel like the cities were that busy! Walk away from big ares and it’s like no one lives there it’s bizarre
I was just there. It’s quite slammed. Even small sushi restaurants had a 30-1hr queue. Book all your tours at least a month in advance, if not sooner. For hotels you have to pay by person not by room. Kyoto is filled with tourists especially. Had to wait like 2.5 hours for Ichiran Ramen 🙁
I went 10 years ago, and god, I was the only gaijin walking around.
Suffering with success /s
I’m in Osaka right now, was in Tokyo for a day about 5 days prior.
Yes there are a bunch of tourists here, but I wouldn’t say the problem is particularly worse than when I was here 5 years ago (both off-season and during peak crowds).
As a Taiwanese I can confirm that Taiwanese people can’t wait to visit Japan after the pandemic lockdown. I have had at least four people I know that have recently traveled to Japan.
I was there in feb and it was definitely crowded in Tokyo and Kyoto, especially Shinjuku and Shibuya. But it was way worse before.
I’m going this juli so I guess I’ll prep to face the horde
I stayed in Chiba for a month and rarely saw a foreigner.
It’s like Costco on a Saturday.
i’ve been seeing chinese tourists since january. maybe not in the numbers before the pandemic but they’re here already.
This is total BS. Was there 2 weeks ago and there were plenty of Chinese tourists. They opened up the country to Chinese tourists mid March. The crowds weren’t even that bad unless you went to the usual busy/crowded spots like Tsukiji outer market.
I was in Tokyo in January for work, and then again in March during cherry blossom season. Difference like night and day, tourism has boomed.
I live in Tokyo, and while I definitely notice more foreigners than I did when the borders were closed, it’s not like we’re wall to wall with tourists or anything. I haven’t noticed anything that has impacted my normal daily life. So don’t go cancelling your travel plans over this article.
I just got back yesterday from two weeks in Japan- did the typical tourist loop of Tokyo, Kyoto, and Osaka (day trips to Hakone and Nara). Kyoto and Hakone were unbearably packed. The busses and shrines were constantly filled to capacity with tourists in Kyoto. In Hakone, the whole loop via public transit (train -> cable train -> ropeway-> boat) were as packed (with toursits) as a Friday night, at capacity, train to Shibuya (with the exception of the ropeway because of weight limits). Extremely difficult to enjoy the views when you can’t even move your arms. Definitely a fair amount of Chinese tourists, but they were mostly concentrated in Kyoto and Osaka. I didn’t even see many tourists in Tokyo, just the sheer volume of people living there are the reason the subways were unpleasant occasionally. Definitely not enough infrastructure to deal with overtourism in Hakone.
Couldn’t eat at any nice restaurants without a reservation a month in advance, and A LOT of restaurants refused to give reservations to non-residents, so we were stuck eating fast food most of the trip. Even attractions like Shibuya Sky had to be booked in advance.
Is this the case everywhere in Japan or just on the golden route? I was thinking of visiting the Japanese Alps/ Chubu this end of September/ October, but I’m wondering if it’ll be too busy…
Source is south China morning post.
Any domestic Japanese news reports on this topic?
Every time I get nostalgic for Japan and think about going back for another visit after 5 years, I stumble across an article like this one and hesitate. It was so fun and interesting when I went there in 2018, but I do have to admit that people in Kyoto always seemed kind of irritated even toward tourists who behaved themselves.
Kyoto certainly was beautiful, but I think I had more fun exploring the less-trafficked areas of Tokyo or going a little off the beaten path in Osaka, Nagoya, or Hiroshima. The people were so nice and almost befuddled, like “why would anyone from America want to come here and eat at my place? You’re a weird one.”
Still think I might go back this fall and explore somewhere I didn’t go last time like Hokkaido, but the ticket prices are like…twice what they were last time I visited. It’s a little eye popping how much more expensive plane tickets are, and now I hear this stuff about the JR pass almost doubling in price, too? Damn. It may be open again, but it certainly isn’t easy to just pop in for a visit.
Came back from Japan 3 weeks ago. I would say it is not bad, really depends on the locations.
Was there in march for 15 days during peak cherry blossom. Kyoto had a good amount of Chinese tourists and generally amounts of tourist but honestly if your smart when you go (avoid and weekends and peak day times) it’s totally fine. Tokyo was crazy but I feel that’s way more due to overpopulation and most places are managable. Avoid Harajuku if you can.
Took kids to see the dino exhibit in Ueno this weekend. Was surprised to see so many tourists around there. I did hear lots of Chinese too.
Back to normal I guess.
I’ve had 8 (I counted) separate groups of friends from back home visit Japan over the last 2 months. Everyone’s been bursting to get into Japan since the borders opened. I already heard from 3 other groups of friends who plan to visit later this year too.
I got back from a 2 week trip 1 week ago today, and this is not the case at all. I went to Kyoto, Osaka, Yamagata, and Tokyo.
We were there mid March. First trip so I don’t have anything to compare it to. Definitely a lot of people but the vibe I got were more locals than tourists. I can’t imagine what it was like pre pandemic! I’m Chinese American and noticed a lot of Chinese peeps but the way they were dressed and how their conversations went, I got the vibe that quite a few of them lived/worked there. I’m so glad we went even though I get anxiety around a crowd. It’s such a neat place to visit.
The primary problem is that these stores and restaurants are definitely *not* ready when the borders are fully open
I, a Taiwanese-Canadian, was in Japan in mid March. When I was in places like Fukuoka and Yufuin I was amazed by the amount of Taiwanese tourists there. When I got out of the airport in Fukuoka and got on the shuttle to go to the train station, the people around me were speaking Taiwanese. At a restaurant in Yufuin the peoplle in the two tables next to me were Taiwanese.
A “Japan had 3 years to fix this and did nothing” article *does* trigger a bunch of “I know, right?” emotions for all the similar experiences I’ve had with ineptitude and inertia in Japanese institutions, but this article is a little…
I mean, it doesn’t even interview anyone outside of the tourism industry, does it? Like 2 tour operators and a travel marketing analyst as sources… maybe the problem is more complex than people who make money off of tourism think it is? Or maybe it’s not – in any case, South China Morning Post isn’t going to give us a window onto that.
I do have to say I liked this quote at the end though –
>“I know a lot of Chinese come to Japan, but it is unfair to single out one nationality for problems that can be solved here,” he said. “And I actually like to see groups of Chinese who are visiting Japan for the first time and are clearly as excited as schoolkids and just love the culture here.
Really good to see that reminder that Japanese soft power includes positively influencing Chinese people – at least as long as the nation doesn’t turn their noses up at them. It’s such a nice sentiment, I want to forgive this professional writer with a professional editor forgetting the closing quotation mark at the end of the paragraph.
Just got back from 3 weeks across the country and didn’t have any issue with crowds or anyone being rude to tourists.
>He believes the authorities may have to introduce dynamic pricing policies in some popular locations, making the most popular sites more pricey and encouraging budget travellers to seek out lesser-known gems
>
>…
>
> Japan needs to find a way to better manage the regional and seasonal spreads.
I don’t see someone who’s already paid through then nose for the flights and JR pass then trying to save a few dollars by going to some no name town. Also the increase in price of the JR price goes directly against this.
Was in Japan for last two weeks and didn’t seem that overly busy compared to when I went in 16,18 and 19.
Was in Osaka, kyoto and Tokyo and aside from kyoto I never had to wait to get into places to eat, tourist attractions or anything else like that (aside from Nintendo world/universal studios or ichiran ramen but they’ve always been busy).
Even the trains/shinkansen were quieter than normal
Lol I cringe when I see the Chinese tour bus pull up
It’s not as crowed as it was before the pandemic though.
isn’t this great for japan and its local businesses? what would japan be without its tourist economy.