In recent years, Japan has become a hot destination for almost everyone, from backpackers of the Z generation to celebrities. Former rugby superstar Tom Brady recently uploaded a photo of himself and his children playing in samurai attire with sumo wrestlers. Foreign tourists not only flock to well-known cities like Tokyo, Osaka, and Kyoto but also rural areas in Japan that were once serene have become crowded with foreigners.
Driven by the depreciation of the yen, the number of visitors last year reached a record high of 37 million. While the influx of foreign tourists has brought vitality to the Japanese economy, it has also caused trouble for the Japanese who prefer a quiet lifestyle.
According to a report by Bloomberg on July 23, there was a time when residents of the agricultural town of Biei in Hokkaido could walk miles without seeing anyone. This town of only 9,000 people, surrounded by vast fields filled with grains, vegetables, and flowers, has now become a popular topic on Instagram and Chinese social media platforms like Xiaohongshu. With more and more scenic photos being shared on social media, waves of tourists holding phones have followed suit.
Most of these holidaymakers are foreigners who often trespass on private land, prompting the town to install cameras that can trigger warnings in multiple languages and capture images of intruders. However, the stream of tourists continues unabated, with tour buses crowding the streets. Traffic is often disrupted as tourists stop to take pictures along the roads.
One thing is certain: while Biei does not reject tourists, they hope that visitors will stay longer, spend money, and not just fill buses to rush to the next Instagram-worthy photo spot. “It’s particularly difficult for tourists to understand courtesy in a small town,” said local tourism official Hiroki Naruse. “Nowadays, there are too many tourists on the streets, causing many problems.”
In January of this year, Biei decided to make a change. A team of lumberjacks arrived and cut down about 40 trees that had stood for decades near the town. Although the town claimed that these birch trees obstructed sunlight from reaching the crops, some locals believe the action was taken to avoid crowding.
The felling of the birch trees in Biei highlights the difficult choices Japan faces as foreign tourists increase. Last year, Japan welcomed a record number of tourists, boosted by a cheap yen, new luxury hotels, gourmet restaurants, and lesser-known historical cities, growing almost 50% from 2023. While foreigners contribute to boosting the Japanese economy, they have also triggered a series of issues, putting pressure on Japan’s “omotenashi” – a deeply rooted hospitality tradition.
From Hokkaido to Okinawa, Japanese residents are feeling the pressure. Some restaurants in Tokyo are turning away non-Japanese customers. In Kyoto, signs are posted to remind tourists to observe basic etiquette: no eating while walking, no blocking the streets, and no loud noise.
With a large influx of foreigners into Japan, real estate, hotel, and restaurant prices are rising. The conservative opposition party, Sanseito Party, has begun to question the benefits brought by the development of the tourism industry and has started opposing the “excessive acceptance of foreigners.” The party made an impressive showing in the Senate election on July 20.
Despite the birch trees in Biei being cleared, tourist buses continue to arrive in droves. “The trees may have disappeared, but the problems remain,” said photographer and head of the local tourism promotion committee, Toshiki Nakanishi. For the past 13 years, he has called Biei his home. “Our hospitable spirit means we welcome tourists, but if we do not control tourism, it cannot be sustained.”