How Do The Japanese Feel About Overtourism? | Street Interview

[@soom6997]

As a Japanese, the real issue is the behavior of a small number of tourists, which can sometimes make us feel uncomfortable or even scared. In general, we are happy to see that many tourists are enjoying our culture and food. Hope your Japan trip gonna be wonderful

[@southcoastinventors6583]

Going next month thanks for the welcome

[@nerida3347]

Thank you, I'll make sure to do my best to respect the customs 😊 I'm learning well in advance how to do things so that I may be a good guest

[@jamesquinn8958]

As an American I'm extremely disappointed that tourists aren't taking the time to learn the culture when visiting Japan or being more mindful and considerate of the people. I also hate when people leave trash lying around no matter what country they are in! I would love to visit Japan some day and if I ever get the chance to hike mt. Fuji I'm bringing trash bags with me so I can clean up some of the mess people are leaving behind out of respect for the country and the people that live there.

[@southcoastinventors6583]

American really do complain about everything even place they haven't been. It great to be at the top of the heap

[@jamesquinn8958]

@@southcoastinventors6583 your comment is out of place here

[@Tuturial464]

Nanking has a word

[@bobbykite8705]

I've been living here for 2 years, and I personally notice that foreigners are usually overly careful about what they do. I think, like was evident in the video, most of these things aren't actually seen by the people themselves, but rather on a video on Twitter or something. It's the same in every country. Social media is literally a CANCER to all of society. Sadly, it's not going anywhere, so we need to learn how to live with it. I'm a Black American, and if you look at SNS, you would think that millions of black people are getting killed by cops every day. The reality is that there are not that many cop killings throughout the year in general. There may be a slightly disproportionate number of black people being killed by cops, but it's nowhere near what Social media makes it seem like it is. I think it's somewhere around 27% of cop killings are black people. Which is not good, by the way. So, I believe that there are Japanese Purest who are trying to spin a narrative that paints foreigners in a negative light to try and preserve their culture because they see how strong the influence is from the West, and they don't like that. So, moral of the story, is don't believe everything you see online.

[@MrJuulia01]

The beauty standard is kinda too much. I wish they saw beauty in their asian looks.

[@jiayueyang2894]

Yeah what weird comments to make

[@JJ-yl7mc]

It's not just in Japan. The influence of Hollywood and European aesthetic standards are deeply ingrained.

[@emperorinmu4199]

​@@JJ-yl7mcThe idea that European standards of beauty have permeated Japanese standards of beauty is a misconception. It is true that Europeans are often seen as beautiful from the Japanese perspective. However, the skeletal features, appearance, and make-up of women who are considered beautiful according to Western standards and actresses active in Hollywood are not considered beautiful from a Japanese perspective, and I feel that there is a fundamental difference.

[@yo2trader539]

I don't know about that. The Beauty Standard in Japan is so different from places like Western Europe, North America.

[@PinoyZo1]

I went to Japan for vacation and even I felt it was overcrowded, I can see 3 japanese out of 10 tourist lol

[@AshtonCoolman]

Did you get outside of Tokyo?

[@magenta_brown5327]

There weren’t many foreign tourists when I went in October last year and July this year.

[@TheGichnni]

Seriously? I lived in Japan 2011-2015 and I'd say there were like 1 in 50 foreigners in central Tokyo... The 2020 olympics was a flop as well due to covid... So what the hell has happened in the last 10 years?

[@Starstreak170]

It seems you didn't leave the touristy areas. I went to a less popular area of Tokyo and I was the only white person there for quite a while.

[@nicolasc2269]

Because you go to the tourist spot otherwise there are 35 m of tourist and 120 m japanese people if you go outside tourist spot you will see majority of japanese people, after overtourism how do France with over 100 m if them 35 = overtourism

[@Razear]

It sounds like locals are more annoyed at foreigners not adhering to Japanese social conventions in public rather than having to deal with the influx of extra people. I think that tourists should strive to be mindful of the country's customs, but at the same time, expecting every tourist to behave as orderly as a Japanese person is probably a tad unrealistic. And I'd imagine situations of overcrowding are a much bigger issue in urban areas where a lot of people congregate. But that's also to be expected since most foreigners probably aren't travelling to Japan to see the countryside.

[@kochilly]

Agreed. I've also noticed an increase in the entitlement from tourists where they expect english menus, english-speaking staff, english instructions and generally don't even put an effort into learning the culture as a two way street. I've seen so many reviews for local businesses where stars are docked simply because they don't offer english accomodations. I think many people forget that they are the guests and not the other way around.

[@ManachanJapan]

@@kochilly especially after corona

[@zoltantari7336]

@@kochillywhile I agree with you that it’s polite, and very useful to try and learn something about a country you’re visiting to better communicate with locals, I respectfully like to share a nother view! You’re forgetting that English is already a 2nd language to many visitors! We are not expecting Japanese staff to learn like 10 languages and communicate with everyone on their native tongue (say French , Italian, Spanish, German, Mandarin, Arabian, Hindi just to name a few) we are expecting to try to communicate on a common tongue! So where tourism is expected it’s recommended if the staff is prepared for foreigners as well, and is not shocked that they don’t speak Japanese and try to talk with them.

[@kimchijjigae87]

@@zoltantari7336 nobody's shocked why should they spend their time learning another language to accommodate for peoples' vacations?

[@Zaidenn]

What? where do you get that from. I'm a foreigner living in Japan I can tell you literally that nobody from the locals care much about the tourists... like about not adhering to Japanese conventions and etc??? nobody is minding about that ..

[@seasaltlemon8237]

A sincere request to all the Japanese people: Please don't let your politeness get in the way of calling out bad behavior! If you notice someone being loud on trains or trashing or in general behaving bad, please speak out and let them know that they are not supposed to do that. In the long run, this will be really helpful for the locals as well as the good tourists who expect high standards while in Japan 🙏 We love your country and the culture...

[@Lalalasoar]

As a Japanese, I can say that Kyoto is one of the less "Japanese" places than it was before. I loved Kyoto because I could feel the quietness and special atmosphere, now I can't experience those.

[@yuugen999]

残念ですね… 日本文化が大好きなポルトガル人として、悲しすぎ．．． 京都に行ったことないし．．．そんな静かな京都の独特な雰囲気を経験したかったんですよ😢 日本語できるのに．．．人生って不平等ですね。笑 政府って何とかするべきだと思いますね

[@Lalalasoar]

@@yuugen999 日本語めちゃめちゃお上手ですね！ 元々はいかにも侘び寂びっていう感じの場所なんですがね、、。今は外国語が飛び交いすぎて、日本なのかわからなくなりますね笑 もしいらっしゃることがあれば、早朝にお寺などに行くのがおすすめです。人がいなくて空気が冴え切っていて、素敵な雰囲気を堪能できます！あとはなるべく金閣寺や清水寺など有名すぎるところを避けることですかね〜

[@endoLas387]

Now, Japanese understand why the French are sometimes unpleasant with tourists.

[@お節介じい]

​@@yuugen999京都に行くより奈良をお勧めします。それに北海道も゙良いですよ。

[@RWP98]

As a Portuguese i feel the same way as you of not being able to experience something in your home country as you used to because of too many foreigners around, and it doesn't feel like your country sometimes, especially in summer. I'm definitely going to visit Japan someday in the future and i will make sure to respect your culture more than my own and make sure not to cause trouble to you kind people :)

[@dn9597]

As a Japanese, I want to tell foreign visitors to respect our culture when you visit Japan. Just because what you do/say is "normal" in your country, doesn't mean it's "normal" in Japan. Please study/research about Japanese culture and history before you come to Japan. And most of all, please respect our culture, history, and people and obey our laws!

[@お節介じい]

日本は色々と規則が多い国です。例えばゴミ出しのルールとか。観光客も゙多少のストレスを゙感じると思うが､郷に入っては郷に従え‥で､最低限のルールは守って欲しい。日本では車内で携帯電話の使用は禁止です。外国ではOKですよね。

[@JJ-yl7mc]

@@お節介じい ゴミ出しルールは住んでからの問題ですね。町内会で理解できるように努めていると思いますが、地域によっては機能していない場所もあるかもしれません。うちの近所はうまくやってます。観光客は世界的な一般常識から逸脱していなければOKですよ、日本人だって各国の細かいルールなんて分かりません。

[@rics1714]

Because the Yen is weak, you’re going to get more and more low quality tourists. I’m sorry it’s not going to get better.

[@mateus7206]

The people who love japanese culture know about how the things works. But other people are just "tourist" they know nothing about Japan so it makes difficulty

[@ChooChoo93210]

Please do that when you travel to a foreign country as well

[@ViperXtreme]

I just came back yesterday for my usual visit in Japan and oh boy it became extremely crowded. I thought summer would deter some tourist but it's even more crowded than I thought. I only visited the popular areas because i was with a friend who is first timer in Japan so its the usual tokyo/osaka/kyoto etc. I enjoyed my stay much much more on the less visited areas in the Ehime/Hiroshima rural areas, they are amazing (Onomichi, Imabari etc.). I think it's not just the crowd is the issue but more of the attitude of the tourists. Also i think knowing even just bits of Japanese would be great as well as to not confuse or scare the locals. You don't even need to know how to string sentences, even simple phrases of numbers, directions, actions, intentions along with hand gestures helps a lot, it's how mostly survive the rural areas and they will be even happy if you know some words.

[@niwa_s]

I don't see why you *have* to stick to the tourist hotspots just because it's your first time there...

[@koxonutboy]

I feel like I can relate in this manner because of the Hawaii tourism experience. Grew up seeing a lot tourists here and there, occasionally seeing some doing some pretty disturbing things to and at certain places very important to our culture and to the local communities in Hawaii. I can understand the concerns.

[@barrettish]

Yup, and it never stopped happening 🙁

[@jt.633]

Yeah its too bad your local culture of having less money was taken away by the tourists and giving yall a booming tourism industy. Very sorry for that.

[@koxonutboy]

@@jt.633 As one of the people said in interviews, tourism in moderation but also respect for the local culture.

[@olivere5497]

Did u ever meet Dawg the Bounty Hunter?

[@koxonutboy]

@@olivere5497 Absolutely not.

[@mtathos_]

the audio feels so unusual, ambiant noise of the surroundings always make it more natural

[@MatthewMabborang]

15:40 this is spot on and I am 💯 agree with her about making a research on exploring hidden gems or undiscovered places that Japan has to offer. I’ll definitely keep this in mind and will definitely come back to Japan again soon! ❤️

[@yinxuehui]

We do this for every long vacation and we were just in japan for 2 weeks in late May. We planned for more than half a year because a lot of places we wanted to go required reservations. We planned it out day by day for 13 days

[@MatthewMabborang]

@@hannesRSA if I remember, the GEM TV Asia have a show where they explore and recommend places both in and out of Tokyo that is not popular or known by locals and tourist. But I have to agree on your point where exploring inner Tokyo is much more difficult in terms of dining-shopping-walking since the city is highly dense and populated (even in cities like Kyoto and Osaka too unfortunately).

[@MatthewMabborang]

@@yinxuehui I sincerely agree with this. We want to make sure that if we go to a different country (like Japan in this case), it's overwhelming when you get carried away with researching on budget, weather forecasts, routes, apps like LINE, places in cities and countryside, activities (free or budget), foods (I highly emphasis on this), and even meeting up with your friends too. Because we wanted to have a memorable and unforgettable experience as a tourist and connect with the locals there! Regardless if you know the language or not ^_^

[@pauljayvlogs489]

I think we as americans have a responsibility to do some research, respect the culture and learn some simple phrases rather than bombard ppl with english.

[@inquisitvem6723]

I used Google translate to make it easier for myself and the locals when I was there a couple months ago. It’s shocking how the younger generation don’t speak English compared to their peers in Korea, Thailand, and Vietnam.

[@Mishakeet]

Americans usually aren’t viewed as the problem. A lot of it is directed at Chinese tourists

[@cooliipie]

Most of the bad tourists are Chinese.

[@davidbrink3328]

I agree with that, being able to say thank you or especially something like can you please help me i’m most definitely lost lol 😂 being able to ask for directions and help is a biggie cause at this point you are at the mercy of people that don’t know you and while Japanese people are kind it would be great to make it a lot easier in understanding each other

[@doubledown8229]

​@@inquisitvem6723Why should they speak English? They're in Japan.

[@riduanlim1]

Tourists in Bali are waaaaay wilder and crazy. Just search on youtube. Spitting, littering, are nothing compares to tourists in Bali.

[@JJ-yl7mc]

omg...😭

[@Tyree101]

00:55 talk about self-hate , They are truly obsessed with having Eurocentric features . You're beautiful just the way you are Miss.

[@demoncorejunior]

while i'm mostly embarassed by other americans' behaviors abroad, it always warms my heart to hear people in other countries mention how friendly americans are. complimenting someone's nails (that they clearly spent a lot of time and effort on!) is a very natural interaction with strangers for americans.

[@dfvsmaster]

3:35 yes I also encountered such women who wanted to take a picture of a geisha from behind, even though it is forbidden, so I took the pamphlet I had with me and held it in front of here mobile and said, that it is not okay to take pictures. She looked really suprised at me and I think cursed in her native tongue and then left. I had to do that twice in a row, because after she left another woman next to her, still in front of me, also tried to take a picture. It really upset me that there are some tourist who can't behave and follow the rules and and ruin everything for everyone

[@legoEgoJJproduction]

instead of banning, some of these areas need to get their stuff together lol. Kyoto is a nice place and bothering geishas and whatnot is really not okay, but things like packed buses and litter are also due to the government. Did you know how Kyoto's government responded to complaints about trashcans being overflowed? they took away trashcans. A better approach would be to add more or trashcans or increase service. If you wanted to have this paid by tourists, add a small tax to of some sort to hotels/other tourist destinations and provide discounts for Japanese. The bus situation in Kyoto can also be solved more proactively by making bus routes more efficient. IIRC the kyoto subway has only two lines, so everyone opts for the bus because the subway generally wont take them to where they need to go.

[@kiwimusume]

Yeah. New Zealand has an International Visitor Conservation and Tourism Levy of $35; Japan could do that.

[@niwa_s]

"If you wanted to have this paid by tourists, add a small tax to of some sort to hotels/other tourist destinations and provide discounts for Japanese." That's having it paid by foreigners, not tourists. Most Japanese people aren't residents of Kyoto, meaning they're also tourists when they go there. Meanwhile some residents of Kyoto aren't Japanese citizens.

[@Mayaman67]

I visited Japan for the first time two months ago. I loved the cleanliness and politeness of the people. I liked the fact that trains were quiet without people watching Tik Tok videos or talking loudly and that people wait for passengers getting off before boarding (it's common sense but many cultures don't get it). Although I try to understand the culture before going there and I observe how things are done, I'm not going to get every nuance of the culture straight away. I'm gonna make mistakes. Often it's not intended to offend. Foe example, in Hiroshima I wasn't sure if all the umbrellas in stands were just there to take or not and leave somewhere else. It felt like there was some kind of system but I wasn't sure what it was. I also went into a store with a wet umbrella and then realised people were leaving them outside or covering them. I felt a bit embarrassed but I'd learned the lesson. I don't like it when countries charge more for foreigners in the same restaurant. It's xenophobic. Is it because they assume we are richer? Then why not charge people based on the car they drive?

[@nekoshark2525]

Sorry, I'll answer with Google Translate. I live in Kyoto, and the amount of tourists there is no exaggeration. I think it's even rarer in rural areas. To be honest, prices have gone up and the number of shops that charge tourist prices is increasing, making it impossible for "locals" to purchase. perhaps, I think this measure is to increase the number of local customers. Don't worry, I don't like this approach either. However, I still think it is a good thing that the government has publicly announced that it will take money. I once got into an argument at an American restaurant where a large amount of money was added to my order, which was not a fair price, so I think it's better than the restaurant asking for a large amount of money. Also, I would appreciate it if you could look into it, but some hotels in Japan have deferred payment options. This system was based on trust between Japanese people, but recently there has been an increase in cases of foreign tourists abusing deferred payment, and there is a possibility that this system will disappear. It's been on the news, so please check it out if you'd like.

[@nekoshark2525]

Of course, there are many people living in Japan who do not follow good manners. There are a lot of people in the Kansai area, especially around Osaka, who have inappropriate manners and traffic lights, and I don't like them. People who don't follow the rules are trash. Even people living in Japan hate each other. I know that there are many good tourists, but I also know that there are even more tourists who don't follow the rules and trample on the good intentions of Japanese people. In fact, it's so malicious that it stands out (´；ω；｀) Of course, something like the water gun attack that happened in Spain the other day is not good. Although I was directing my anger in the wrong direction, I could understand his feelings. I wish the government would come up with some better policy before we turn on tourists with the same hatred they have in Spain. I think that's probably part of this. Sorry for the long message.

[@Mayaman67]

@@nekoshark2525 The shops that charge higher prices are Japanese.

[@LinaKei]

I miss the background sound, it made the videos more authentic, please bring it back :)

[@Kittymayo12]

I live in Kyoto and I wish you’d come interview here… the attitude to foreigners is very different

[@sleepysartorialist]

Being from a tourist-blasted part of the United States that never gets a break, I empathize with Japan's plight. I often joke "California is closed please don't come" but it doesn't stop.

[@Mishakeet]

As someone living in LA, the tourism here is pretty spread out. I found Las Vegas to be waaaay more overcrowded with tourism

[@davidbrink3328]

It’s not only California but your right any tourist area in the States is always crowded and crazy busy like Florida or NYC and that’s busy by the people who live and/or work there

[@doubledown8229]

I'm Hawaiian, and the US illegally annexed our islands. We have no choice.

[@nicolasc2269]

It's same in all country, tourist spot and go to paris with 48 millions tourist you will see what's overtourism is

[@zabzab6128]

I loved my journey to Japan and prepared quite well. I learned some Japanese so that I could at least order drinks and food :) The Japanese people were incredibly friendly and helpful. I can’t understand some tourists who don’t do any research and clearly disregard the rules, such as being quiet on the train and behaving in a way that blends in, which I find sad and, in my opinion, disrespectful to the people living there.

[@yoheivlog1435]

35M tourists visiting the country that has 110M population is not overtourism. If they suffer from the current situation, it's not because of the number of tourists but the way they deal with it is not good. Look at Venezia. 20M people visit the city that has 250K people. That is overtourism.

[@globuspallidus2457]

Venetia is a city, Japan is a country, you can’t do this comparison

[@eduzz4655]

​@@globuspallidus2457Tokyo Metropolitan Area is between 36-38M people, so yes, he can actually compare. You should check the tourist numbers of Italy, Spain or Greece and the numbers of the residents.

[@niwa_s]

@@globuspallidus2457 France got 100 million visitors in 2023, having a population of 68 million. Spain got 85 million tourists with a population of 48 million.

[@stereomachine]

Very safe answers by and large

[@ZackAuslander]

So much respect to audio engineer who drowned out the insanity(noise wise) that is Shibuya Crossing

[@forecheckbackcheckpaycheck]

yeah the audio was insane, like how did they even do that o.O

[@daviseverywhere]

I can't deny that the weaker yen has had an impact, but Japan is still a place I'd visit over and over, no matter the economic situation. There's always so much to discover every time I'm there. 🇯🇵 ❤️

[@majibento]

Hirosaki City, Aomori is my little-known but highly recommended tourist area. You can enjoy beautiful cherry blossoms and a view of the castle and Mt Iwaki for like 1/4 the price of Tokyo and barely any tourists there. The food in Dotemachi is amazing. Best time to visit is fall for Apple season. You’re welcome :)

[@risakoiscoolwithm]

Love that place too but the cherry blossom season is packed with tourists.

[@ni5439]

It's not happening all over Japan, it happens mostly in the more touristy cities. Traveling is becoming more and more common, so centralizing all the tourism puts a lot of strain in few specific places. It's happening in every major city everywhere. Another example is what's going on in Barcelona and their protests against tourism. I think governments around the world should try to promote other areas of their countries so the foreigners spread more evenly and there's less stress for the locals

[@southcoastinventors6583]

Honestly Barcelona is kindy overrated compared to other cites of Spain like Seville or Valencia

[@twindryvolta7387]

yeah when you go to kyoto, you have to wait for 2 or 3 buses untill you can get on. wondering if we as a local experience it everyday. it is stressfull

[@1988kcmo]

@@hannesRSAI loved Kyoto. My friend and I spent 3 nights there. Beautiful surrounding countryside, temples, palaces, etc... The most underwhelming place I visited in Japan was actually Okinawa 😅

[@kageyamareijikun]

Did you mistranslate the old lady? She said littering stopped if people knew the rules, not increased recently.

[@southcoastinventors6583]

You obviously never watched dubbed anime this actually pretty decent

[@risakoiscoolwithm]

6:46 Yes they mistranslated. She said “There may have been littering before, but recently it has been decreasing” Which is not true in places like Shibuya after dark, but in terms of awarness I guess so.

[@Enchanteralle]

I'm wondering if Japanese treat specific race/ethnicity (tourists) better because there are definitely different attitudes about tourists from different countries based on impression, stereotypes, etc. As an Asian American, my experience in Japan few years ago is that they immediately label you coming from China when you don't speak Japanese. Maybe not all, but like half of them. One even came up to me to say hi in Mandarin to me when he offered to take a photo. I just nodded and smiled. Language barrier to explain where I'm from. I definitely respect rules in Japan, but I also hope that Japanese people can try to understand that not all tourists intentionally break rules. Also, that guy is absolutely right - limited public trash bins. They need to have more trash bins in the public. I had to put trash in my bag till I went back to my hotel or throw away in a dept store's bathroom trash bin. Very inconvenient.

[@risakoiscoolwithm]

I guess it's because of the overwhelming number of Chinese tourists. Also not having trash cans prevents terrorism so we won't be doing that. It keeps the view looking clean too.

[@leelee12123]

I have personal experience when local helped me finding the products and helped me find my way. I think they are kind and helpful to tourists. Tourists need to respect their culture and learn to respect rules, ie: queue up, not eat on the train etc. Rules are rules. Please respect and follow it. You are in someone else country. Not only in Japan, other countries as well.

[@SnorttySnortSnort]

They kept saying that we are visiting Japan because of the weak yen. But that is not the full picture. I personally visit Japan because of their amazing culture and landscape. There are many countries with weak currencies but you do not see all of them being popular destinations for tourists. Japan is just amazing regardless of the value of their currency.

[@Collector_Phil]

That’s because the Japanese in wide majority only parrot exactly what they hear on Japanese mass media, which overwhelmingly focused on the ‘weak yen’ and push that narrative non stop, rarely mentioning the other obvious points that clearly brings the world to Japan. I’ve been living here for 15 years so I know.

[@trishayable]

The thing is no one likes tourists anywhere - I hate tourists even when I'm a tourist too. I think more people who originally didn't care to travel are traveling more just to show off on social media. I'm taking a break from traveling because of the over tourism problem everywhere and dealing with annoying tourists who just want to take pics of themselves to show off on social media. Traveling in overrated and stressful anyway.

[@adarshkumar-gp7zq]

i mean just by looking at the background i could see so many foreigners it must feel overwhelming sometimes

[@konabanana383]

Some people in the comments section say there are not many tourists from other countries, but most of the groups that come to Japan are from China or South Korea, and most Westerners can't tell the difference. Many tourists from China have bad manners, and of course not all of them have good manners, but there are many who are mistaken for Japanese.

[@HitoriGnocchi]

when i go to japan i definitely dont want to see other tourist. i want to venture into the places less traveled and experience japan without annoying touristy people--especially the loud ones.

[@_KITE]

That’s.. kind’ve what everybody thinks, isn’t it?

[@Collector_Phil]

Yet everyone goes to Shibuya in Tokyo. It’s now become a tourist town

[@niwa_s]

@@_KITE Clearly not, otherwise 90% of them wouldn't still be defaulting to Tokyo and the other 3 popular spots

[@ruththompson9369]

Sweet people its not the weak yen its the aspect of being somewhere we never been its like history there are traveling people and its that we want to experience a different way of life..its not being able to save its being human and that's why in American we have people coming here that's just beautiful.. but I say this be considered to the country you visit and leave no more than you came with.. Just learn to show respect.. No we need to be the humble ones when visited another country.. Its theirs not ours.. Be humble..

[@southcoastinventors6583]

Weak yen just makes it more attractive especially if you live on the west coast still can't for the life me understand why anybody would visit during the summer

[@nch3203]

Japan is always my no.1 destination. With its unique features e.g., architectures, nature, culture, and ofc food! And also japan is safe and easy to navigate with public transport. I'm sorry with the overtourism problem but please note that we come because you're too good to miss

[@ARKSAAXX-ys9gz]

Japanese suffer not only from bad manners by tourists, some tourists even commit crimes. For example, a Japanese ryokan invited foreigners for the first time this year, but the first foreigner who came to the ryokan ran away without paying the bill. This ryokan has been in business for over 140 years, and they say they've never seen anything like this happen before. And statistics show that the number of crimes that occurred in Japan this year increased by more than 5,000 compared to the previous year. I don't think all of them were committed by foreign tourists, but they clearly have an impact. Looking at social media, there is a lot of talk about how some facilities and restaurants in Japan are banning foreigners, but frankly, it's no wonder they're doing it.

[@jt.633]

Racism is justified when Japan does it ay? Then if its an American business its public outrage and cancellations and probably gets their business burned down.

[@jt.633]

It's only justified if Japan does it ay? Imagine if a business in the US did the same, what would happen😂 bet that would anger you

[@OnlyMeEndofWorld]

​@@jt.633 US are u joking

[@44jwong]

I don't think bad manners by tourists are uniquely Japan issue. Other countries also face similar issue, no?

[@OnlyMeEndofWorld]

@@44jwong yep but they care about it more than any country

[@ChocoParfaitFra]

I’m in Japan now. Most people around me are Chinese. You may think you’re surrounded by Japanese but no, they’re Chinese I think people always think about westerners but trust me, we’re not many. Chinese are more than the Japanese here

[@Anonymouscpa2]

That’s an overstatement tbh.

[@Jeffcrocodile]

There's no such thing as a free lunch. You want the tourists money you have to take the package, and nothing you'll do will ever get you to avoid bad tourists or the bad aspects of tourism.

[@JSN723]

It’s weird that when they think of foreigners, they only think of white foreigners, not like Asian Americans, etc.

[@KarthofEarth]

tru, some of these Asian countries tend to have some weird "white savior complex" where they like to fetishes on white foreigners, as oppose to foreigners as a whole.

[@barrettish]

Yeah I often don’t get accepted as just American when I’m in Japan. Same as when I traveled in Europe too.

[@kimchijjigae87]

the first question they bring up the mostly asian foreigners - honestly how would you know if someone is asian american at first glance

[@barrettish]

@@kimchijjigae87 It’s harder for sure, even Asian-Americans don’t recognize each other… speaking from experience lol. But I’ve been told that if they watch someone for a bit, they can tell by body language and mannerisms. I made a video about this and at least a few people commented saying they’d know from my hairstyle.

[@eddenoy321]

I think they are aware that there are many Asian foreigners around them . Those other Asians among them often get a bad rap because they are perceived as poor immigrants with poor communication skills.

[@c_cma1971]

Hello from Bucharest, Romania - a huge underrated city in Europe:) Known also as "Little Paris".

[@nobodynothing00000]

I don't think how many American tourists realize how small Kyoto really, and Kyoto isn't a party town. If they're in Japan to party they should stay in Osaka and just make a day trip to Kyoto, leave Kyoto to the people who want to do the temple walks. But then again you think the average American does their research, beyond a couple of videos they saw on KZbin?

[@nobodynothing00000]

@barnumcapote8215 good for you, derp

[@diffizzle8630]

I’m American and I’m staying in Osaka and doing a day trip to Kyoto 😂😂 oops my bad, didn’t mean to interrupt the America bad circlejerk 😂😂😂

[@IOSARBX]

Asian Boss, amazing video it was really good

[@felipeyoutube89_]

From the moment I clicked on this video, I knew that Japanese people would fawn over European looks.

[@melancholicflaneur23]

they love all things white.

[@TheAmphicyon]

Anime and manga bear that out. No secret.

[@nekoshark2525]

​@@TheAmphicyonteeth? Is the anime Japanese? ? ? ? ? Are you guys too self-conscious?

[@nekoshark2525]

​@@TheAmphicyonI'll be honest. Why do you think Sailor Moon characters are European? ? ? ? I'm Japanese. Mirko from Hero Academia is not black. I'm a Japanese gal with tanned skin. Foreigners don't know that the further north you go, the more Japanese people have white or yellow skin, and the further you go to Kyushu and Okinawa, the more your skin becomes tanned and darkened. I don't even know the culture of gals. I mean, why do anime fans like you scum always care about nationality? ? ? ? ? Seriously?

[@sheluvssmokedupeyes1]

@@nekoshark2525 it’s not about being self-conscious. A lot of Japanese anime displays their people as European or half European and half Japanese and that’s because we anime came to the United States. The American audience, or the people that were running the film industry told him if they really want anime to succeed they need to make characters that look like Americans, or look like white people to make it to succeed.

[@morebowmore]

Thailand and China, Philippines are super popular too. I think people are getting more rich these days.

[@atamo4323]

Some countries offer discounts to locals when visiting attractions, instead of charging more for tourists. Or offer discounts during non busy hours to advert the crowds during peak visiting hours.

[@gie-chanofficial22819]

This street interview is quite disturbing. To think the topic is about over tourism but it turned into something about their insecurities for the Caucasians.

[@epg96]

Hey AB, when'll u make video about Indonesian constitution? It's a hot topic in here

[@Vendrix86]

when they're financially struggling I doubt they'll be doing anything outside Korea/Japan/China in the near future.

[@johnyoo3300]

People would be interested in Japanese constitution change. Indonesian constitution aside from indonesians who would be interested at?

[@Iamsnuggles]

I’m really interested in Japanese history, I hope to visit Japan one day, I hope the over tourism is done when I go 😂

[@dmark1922]

Asian Boss usually does a pretty good job with English subtitles from Japanese, but this time I felt like a lot of them were odd and misleading...

[@coastcity7029]

Japanese should ban tourism. In 100 years, Westerners can return there to view the ruins of Japan and meet the few hermits who remain there telling stories of a mythical land where legendary swords were made of paper-thin metal and raw fish were eaten with dabs of fiery green sauces. Oh and don't forget about Hello Kitty too

[@southcoastinventors6583]

They tried that during COVID until some ask them What have I got in my pockets? and then moths came out

[@DaveLeedL118]

😂

[@atamo4323]

Learning a bit of jp norms and language is good to avoid misunderstandings. Now there’s google translate and ppl are more accepting in using it, it’s so much easier. I remember a train station staff refuse to talk into my phone after i used my phone to show him my question. Also, one time when I reserved a set before going to a restaurant and then wanted to order more item at the restaurant, the waitress and the cook had to discuss with serious expressions. They made the extra dish but the set course felt shortened a little. When the bill came, they did not charge for the extra dish. Then I realized they had to substitute and change some items in the set in order to offer me the extra dish. I was expecting to pay the set and the extra dish on the menu. It showed that the default operating mode in jp is to stick to the norm and preset procedure. Flexibility is not an automatic mode to them. Just be aware and use simple written note or translating app to communicate.

[@tempestsonata1102]

If restaurants, pubs etc. in Prague charge more from tourists, it's called a scam. If it happens in Tokyo, it's OK. Go figure.

[@davidbrink3328]

Well really it’s probably because there economy is really weak right now and there playing catch up also they probably have to hire extra help on for tourism seasons if it gets really busy, NYC is a good example especially for Holidays, on average it’s packed but during Holidays it’s over the top off the charts and clean up is awesome

[@niwa_s]

@@davidbrink3328 Czech GDP per capita in 2023: $27,226.6, Japan: $33,834.4

[@seany123frn]

15:12 After living in Japan for over 3 years I can safely say I have never seen a foreigner spit, but I have seen at least 30 older Japanese men spitting in crowded streets…

[@antonyzhou6602]

They maybe mainland Chinese

[@melancholicflaneur23]

@@antonyzhou6602 are you a sinophobe?

[@gustinex]

IMO from my experience after being in Tokyo twice and Kyoto/Osaka once, tourist in Tokyo is relatively well behaved and respectful of the culture. In Kyoto though, hooo boy the tourist there more disrespectful

[@jessicamompoint1849]

Japanese people DO NOT need to be jealous. They are beautifully unique. I hope they make laws so tourists can stop littering. It's not their house. Be respectful.

[@diiii_mond]

This is why I generally avoid the giant tourist areas when I travel.

[@BillieBilly-v4w]

Last year I traveled to Japan alone, I was there for a little over a month and I can say that I saw more Japanese people traveling within Japan than tourists. It is not overcrowded with foreign tourists.

[@davidbrink3328]

They might not all be Japanese but could be from other area’s in Asia

[@zetaplus7911]

Great video as always. I want to suggest not filtering out all the background noises completely. It felt a bit jarring to see crowds but only hear one person speaking. A little bit of background noise would be the sweet spot.

[@zevil89]

Japan feels like an artificial amusement park already

[@armorpro573]

It was and still is thirty years ago

[@eduzz4655]

Japanese essentialist nihonjinron mentality.

[@southcoastinventors6583]

Another great example of Jinglish

[@eduzz4655]

@@southcoastinventors6583 What Jinglish? Nihonjinron 日本人論 is a concept and genre internationally studied in philosophy, literature, anthropology or sociology. Stop your failed try of _ad hominem_ fallacy (btw, my first language is Spanish).

[@southcoastinventors6583]

@@eduzz4655 At least you put in the effort to change to kanji おめでとう

[@Jkd_77]

I think everyone right now is just trying to get their last bit of travel/enjoyment for the summer in before autumn starts. By then I think the high influx of tourists will ease down a bit.

[@KaufDirGeld]

overcharging someone for using the english menu is shameful. not respecting the local customs is also very shameful.

[@bluetigers1364]

I hope Asian boss knows geography, Asia is not only east Asia..try to make videos on other Asian countries too.

[@Jsarmy87124]

They do all countries watch on the app

[@davidbrink3328]

Some Countries aren’t that easily with access or accepting outsiders so there is a safety issue and let’s not be too ignorant about it even in America remember your being watched, albeit you can probably get away with a little more in the States that probably won’t fly in other Countries

[@anamorphicalan]

very good content, as hobby editor I suggest editor use background separator for audio less, personal preference to isolate speaker but still hear ambience of location

[@anamorphicalan]

2/3 narrator 1/3 ambience noise

[@DynamicLearning4u]

After going to Japan, my family and I are inspired to bring Japanese values - i.e Cleanliness, Integrity, Discipline, Innovation, Ethics, Care and concern for environment and many other things back home. Thank you Japan for setting such a high community standard. Much appreciate.

[@lemontree9787]

Can I please ask where were you from that don’t have these social values originally?

[@yanahusak5435]

Innovation? You gotta be kidding.

[@jt.633]

literally same!

[@inquisitvem6723]

I still haven’t mowed my yard for a month after I returned from Japan.

[@seany123frn]

⁠@@lemontree9787this is the part I am missing I think aswell haha, I live in Japan for over 3 years and I don’t litter etc cos I just wouldn’t do that anywhere - where are these people coming from hahah?

[@Taiorekids]

Rather than establishments setting higher prices for tourists, wouldn’t it be easier to set up a tourist entry fee at the airport or overseas embassies? If tourists has to be pay $100 to enter Japan it would reduce tourist numbers significantly

[@alwaystakemarktwainsadvice4269]

That’s the problem. They don’t actually want tourists to stop coming because that would hurt the economy. They want their cake and eat it too. It doesn’t work that way. They’re being shady about it so people will have a hard time figuring out they’re being scammed.

[@niwa_s]

@@alwaystakemarktwainsadvice4269 There's no actual problem anyway. They got a measly 25 million in 2023, while having a population of 120 million. Absolute rookie numbers compared to e.g. France (100 million tourists /

[@Pram4]

i can feel it, its not comfortable

[@diffizzle8630]

Born and raised in Vegas. I understand where they’re coming from 😂😂

[@frikandelkroket9335]

I went to Japan for Japan and not buying stuff. That does not interest me at all.

[@gyruless]

U spend with hotel, tickets and food.that enough to move japan economy.

[@thelastdefenderofcamelot5623]

@@gyruless He means that he goes there to learn the culture and not about spending on mass consumption of crap which is basically staying in the city. It's not about hotels, the best food or train tickets. The real culture of Japan can only be experienced in the countryside which is a more simple and relaxing lifestyle.

[@omi4470]

I’m coming to Japan around February-March for the first time and I am currently learning and “teaching” my family how Japan is different from our country😅

[@davplo9432]

It's a bit of a subject to denigrate tourists and those who say that tourists should know the culture etc. It's the same in any country in the world when you travel, it's not only in Japan so stop denigrating the tourists who come to your country and don't forget that tourism also makes the economy of a country work. The subject and the people who answer are completely stupid if people are not happy that they close their borders and stay among themselves, they will be happy since their population is aging and the Japanese are no longer having children

[@うめゾーン]

The Japanese themselves do not want that many tourists. The politicians are just doing what they believe is a good idea. The people are just doing what they can within their means. It is not that foreign tourists are absolutely necessary.

[@ibm30rpg]

If the Japanese don't want to have children then that's on them. You don't need to bring your imperialism to rape a foreign nation to having offspring.

[@fjorddenierbear4832]

分かってほしいけどさ、そもそもこうなったのはロックダウンのせいだよ。 今から２・３年間後はまた普通にもどるんだろう。

[@meat_loves_wasabi]

Being going to Japan every year since 2013...around 2017 /2018 there were a lot tourists already in the main cities

[@southcoastinventors6583]

Just need to go where there aren't any English signs works every time

[@Dara-hq1md]

Strange feeling, somehow I feel that europeans and Americans tend to respect and defend on any issue only Japanese . I don't see such debates for any other countries. Yeah Japanese are polite and bla bla bla. However reality is different, majority of people who are traveling don't care about any culture or heritage , they are just going for fun. Reminding me many incidents when people toom with them stones from heritage place. I doubt that you can change such amount of people. The Yen is weak, Japanese government doing propaganda for tourism , its their decision to take consequences for such decisions. Each country which handle tourism have same problems. I don't know why people are making fuss about Japan each time

[@JJ-yl7mc]

That's because it’s what you choose to focus on. The topic seems to be drifting a bit, but over-tourism isn’t just an issue in Japan. There are also anti-tourism protests and debates in Spain and Italy.

[@niwa_s]

Weebs.

[@sirebellum0]

A good way to get perspective on this topic: Look in the background and count how many foreign-looking people you see passing by during all these interviews

[@JerryHatrickShorts]

If I walked by, you wouldn’t be able to tell….

[@doubledown8229]

I saw so many. Poor Japan.

[@1988kcmo]

Go to Times Square, Trafalgar Square, Las Ramblas, Tiananmen, Gwanghamun, etc... it's the same.

[@eduzz4655]

​@@1988kcmo well, but Time Square or Trafalgar's are not good examples as they are typically and traditionally multicultural and multi ethnic places (so are US and UK).

[@perrywinkle5000]

I do find it funny when people who choose to live in the areas where tourist both domestic and international frequently visit complain about tourist being there. And despite the weak yen, Japan isn't cheap for Westerners. These are people who wanted to visit Japan but were banned for 3 years from doing so. Only those very interested in Japan are coming they aren't coming to buy cheaper goods. Tourist from Korea and China do in fact do that though. And how exactly is charging tourist more gonna be enforced? Does this include Japanese tourist? And I'm a 16-year resident of Japan. Do I have to prove I am not a tourist? Another thing, I live in a major Japanese city and have met people who work in immigration at the airport as well as in industries with tourist and typically it is NOT the Western tourist that are the biggest headache. It is typically people from a large country in Asia that is know worldwide for having difficult tourist.

[@うめゾーン]

The original inhabitants of the area, their place is home before it's a tourist attraction. It is an insult to the locals to say that it is wrong to live there as a tourist attraction.

[@ibm30rpg]

You could have just said China or India.

[@takosdon7754]

your opinion is a typical foreigner's viewpoint. In the first place tourists who come to japanese sightseeing spots were originally the same japanese people. However, the recent increase in the number of foreign tourists has caused a great deal of trouble for the tourist attractions. foreign exchange rates also have nothing to do with japanese people. No matter what kind of tourists are coming, they are just one of the foreigners for japanese people.

[@jayc33day]

Typical immigrant

[@tevinrobinson4871]

"Tourism Tax" is basically a part of every culture. If you appreciate Japan, paying a little extra shouldn't be such a big deal.

[@southcoastinventors6583]

Tax avoidance is the duty of every US citizen

[@tevinrobinson4871]

@@southcoastinventors6583 🤣🤣🤣

[@chudtopiagd]

I have been to Japan a few times in the past few months for long layovers/visiting friends and it is only *extremely* bad in Tokyo/Kyoto and some parts of Osaka from my experience. It can be extremely annoying and even disrespectful at popular temples/shrines where foreigners will take photos of locals praying/doing whatever they do there (I don't really know). That being said when I visited Fukuoka and some other cities there were barely any obvious tourists at all that I could see, most of the time I'd be the only white person around. My opinion isn't relevant because I'm not Japanese but IMO they probably should get rid of visa-free stays for at least us Americans just due to how terrible it is in Kyoto and Tokyo though.

[@1DangerMouse1]

To the people defending over tourism: look at what happened to mt. everest... looking at that makes it hard to deny how it's just bad.

[@charleslewis375]

8:28 I didn't realize this woman who insisted on speaking English was Japanese until she said that.

[@Imagocorporation]

9:10 LMAOOOO, Markiplier replacement protocol.

[@chonnyy2475]

I went to japan before the huge rush, and I gotta admit some foreigners are so blindsided to how disrespectful they are

[@Pandabby007]

The way SE Asians idolize European features is almost cringe worthy.

[@kemouse]

Tourists learning a little Japanese wouldn't hurt either. I've been and the people we interacted with were ALL very polite and did their best to try and help.

[@doubledown8229]

White people learn Japanese?! Thanks for the good laugh! 😂😅

[@nerida3347]

​@@doubledown8229why not? I'm going next spring and I'm at least learning how to read hiragana and hold a basic conversation. I feel it's polite, especially since Japanese people can be wary of tourists. I'd like to put some effort in to be a good guest

[@thelastsamirai-tunisianaro3499]

Japan it's a vast country. Hokkaido or Shikoku islands particularly. There are other countries who suffer more from over tourism...Plus, Japan economy needs to recover asap

[@john-gb6cc]

i prefer hearing background noises

[@jayc33day]

Tax foreigners more, problem solved

[@Vendrix86]

whoa.....sounds weird. The background audio is completely gone. I guess it was really that noisy there??

[@R-London7]

Be grateful people like your country.

[@fjorddenierbear4832]

また日本に行こうと思っているが、沖縄と北海道にしようかな。 東京は地震が怖いから、リモートワーカーとしては住む意味がないだろう。

[@THMILLER]

Its a bit strange, the obsession some have with 'white skin' when we are all shades of brown... Have some people not realised this fact?🤔🤔🤔🤔🤔🤔🤔🤔🤔

[@Pərfectchāøs]

That settles it, when I return for the first time in about 15 years I'll be wearing a basket over my head ala Edo period 😂😂😂

[@diffizzle8630]

😂😂😂😂

[@邪悪なビビ]

観光収入などあってもなくても変わらん まずそれを自覚してくれ

[@1022gtv]

It is only natural that various obstacles will arise when a former industrial nation tries to switch to a tourism nation. The nation's capacity to absorb the demand is totally inadequate. However, information about megaquakes may also help to alleviate overtourism.

[@majibento]

The charging tourists more thing will be hard to enforce and annoying for foreign-looking people who are living in Japan tho. Especially those born and raised there. What are they gonna do, ask to see ID every time?

[@kiwimusume]

Foreign residents are already required by law to always take their resident card with them when they go out so that if cops think they’re an illegal immigrant they can prove that they’re not. Make of that what you will, but it does mean that it’d be easy to enforce a system where residents pay the lower rate while tourists pay a higher one.

[@ibm30rpg]

It's probably not as hard as one may believe it to be. A good chunk of them don't even put in the effort to learn the language, so that's already a go-to filter.

[@mafumofu986]

They don't need to ID you. Just look at you, and if you look East Asian you get local prices. If not, you pay the tourist prices.