CONSCIOUS TOURISM

Near Mt. Fuji there lies a magical convenience store. Above it, a perfect framing shot of the nation's most popular mountain. Too bad you won't be able to get that Insta-worthy pic anymore.

Starting next week the town of Fujikawaguchiko is setting up an 8-foot high mesh net to block the view. Why so cruel Japan!?

Well, that's because this spot has become so popular that tourists illegally park their cars on the side of the road, toss their trash everywhere, and even climb a nearby dental clinic's roof to get a better picture. Locals have had enough. But the people putting up the net have said they will take it down if the situation improves.

This is why we can't have nice things.

The recent flood of tourism is helpful to Japan, but in many ways, unintended consequences are making life difficult for some.

Over-tourism: Blessing or Curse?

Japan is booming. Since the fading of COVID concerns and border lockdowns, tourists have come back with a vengeance.

I live near Kyoto. During the pandemic, I could walk around and almost never see another soul, especially another foreigner.

Now, the streets are clogged. This isn't bad in and of itself. I'm reminded of the saying:

You are not in traffic, you ARE traffic. I am not dealing with crowds, I AM the crowd.

I grew up in South Lake Tahoe, California. A place famous for its influx of tourists. We have a love-hate relationship with them. Hate the jammed streets and sold-out restaurants. Hate the trash on the beach and the disrespectful behavior. Love the money and the new faces they bring in. Almost everyone I know back home couldn't survive without the money that tourists spend.

So it is with Japan. Nobody can nor should gatekeep the country. Come and enjoy it. But, some foreigners cause so many problems. Recently outsiders to Kyoto (both foreign and Japanese) have just been banned from the historic Gion neighborhood. This is largely due to people harassing the Geisha: From taking photos without their permission to even touching them (that's assault, my friend).

Businesses taking advantage of foreigners

Another issue with the foreign influx is that, since the yen is weak, tourists can splurge in Japan, especially if they earn US dollars. This incentivizes shops to hike up their prices. The problem is that this hurts the people who live in the area.

They're being punished: their wages don't rise but the prices do.

One example is the ski resort town of Niseko. A bowl of gyudon (rice and beef bowl) usually costs about ¥500 ($3) but in Niseko, you can expect to pay ¥2,000 ($12) or more. Many foreign tourists say they don't mind that because it's still cheaper than resort towns back home. But locals have to pay at least 4 times as much as they would normally!

This led Niseko to create a 2-tiered charging system: one for locals, and one for foreign tourists. Many Japanese people agree with this, 60% in fact.

This may sound good if foreigners are okay with it, or don't even know about it to be honest. But, that does lead to racial profiling. Japanese tourists, and many other East Asians (if they don't speak their languages in front of the vendors) can get the local price while those who look more foreign don't.

The target here is foreign tourists. But non-Japanese-looking residents of Japan may also have to fight for the local price (as someone who pays taxes in Japan and earns yen in Japan, I refuse to pay the tourist price).

My very white-looking friend recently went to a karaoke in Kyoto. When she entered the clerk handed her the Shogun package. The prices were 5 times the normal price. When she spoke Japanese to the staff they immediately apologized and gave her the normal price.

What's happening here is that when someone who obviously looks non-Japanese enters the staff automatically hand them the Shogun menu. They're fleecing foreigners without letting them know cheaper options exist.

On the other hand, is it wrong for businesses to do this if tourists are willing to pay? I'll leave that for you to decide.

Influencers bring the cringe

One final consequence of over-tourism is that clout hunters have invaded. Japan is a fairly tolerant society. Most people will not challenge a foreigner for breaking social etiquette. Sure it may happen sometimes (I've heard stories) but I've never seen it. Many Japanese may be cursing your barbarian ways in their hearts, but they will not say it out loud.

I don't want to give them too much space so let's just look at one notorious example: Johnny Somali.

This guy got banned from YouTube and Twitch due to his pranks so he ran to Kick, came to Japan last year, and made a name for himself by being an atomic idiot.

He would berate Japanese people on trains and the street, saying that the US would nuke them again, sexually harass women, and just overall be a nuisance to society.

He was confronted by people with Yakuza ties and was forced to apologize on camera. Days later he was back to his same ol' dumb behavior again. Then he got arrested for illegally entering private property and recording at a restaurant without permission. After several weeks in jail, he was released and left for Israel, where he did it all over again.

This guy isn't the only one. But with Japan being a rich cultural experience for travelers, I'm afraid he won't be the last.

So…come to Japan!

I know I've been moaning for the past few minutes. Forgive me for my tirade.

I do NOT want any of you to think you shouldn't come to Japan.

Please do.

I would just like everyone to be aware of some the effects that tourism can have on this country I love. So please visit, but do so with respect. It's easy to do. Be adventurous and do crazy things while at the same time keeping in mind that real human being make their lives in the places that you visit. Be conscious of what and who is around you.

And don't buy the Shogun package.

Much love.

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