Japan seeks more visitors despite overtourism problems – Nationwide
Japan’s tourism chief said its ambitious goal of luring 60 million foreign tourists a year — more than double the current level — is well within reach, despite surging overtourism concerns. Japan last year attracted over 25 million tourists from abroad, in part buoyed by the lifting of pandemic-era border restrictions, from countries such as South Korea, Singapore and the United States. Ichiro Takahashi, head of Japan’s tourism agency, acknowledged the previously announced target of 60 million remains “tough”, but stressed it is within the realm of possibility.
Over three million foreign tourists visited Japan for a third consecutive month in May, according to government statistics released. But an influx of tourists to Japan has reignited concerns over overtourism in recent months, with local residents complaining of their sometimes unruly behaviour and etiquette breaches.
The city of Himeji, in western Japan, was among the latest local governments to express frustrations. The municipality famous for Himeji Castle is mulling making the World Heritage site’s admission fees for overseas tourists four times as expensive as those for local residents, local media reported. Another flashpoint around overtourism is Mount Fuji, where a new, crowd-control gate was erected Monday along its popular trail. The measure followed a rare step taken last month by an exasperated Japanese town to deliberately block a view of the volcano with a large black barrier, in a bid to deter photo-hungry tourists.
Mayor considering increasing Himeji Castle entry fees for overseas visitors – Hyogo Prefecture
The mayor of Himeji, western Japan, has said he is contemplating “quadrupling” entry fees exclusively for foreign tourists visiting Himeji Castle, a UNESCO World Heritage site, in response to increasing inbound tourism. The city government acknowledged Monday that Mayor Hideyasu Kiyomoto made the remark the previous day at an international symposium in Himeji, Hyogo Prefecture.
The admission fee for the castle, also a national treasure with part of its wooden structure dating back to the early 17th century, is currently set at 1,000 yen for a person aged 18 or above. “We would like to charge (the equivalent) of around $30 for foreigners and around $5 for residents,” Kiyomoto said at the symposium on cultural heritage and natural disasters. When asked about his reason for the $5 fee, Kiyomoto told reporters Monday that he wants “to avoid raising the admission fee for local residents.” He said too many visitors could damage the castle’s keep, which also serves as “a place of rest” for people, and setting two different admission fees might be a good idea.
The city government said in a statement it will take proper measures to realise sustainable tourism as repair and refurbishment of the castle will be continuously needed. It also said many World Heritage castles abroad collect higher fees than Himeji Castle. Around 1.48 million people visited the castle in fiscal 2023, and 452,300 were foreigners, topping 400,000 for the first time since data became available in fiscal 1992, according to the city government. Amid a surge in inbound tourism to Japan, local governments are seeking additional funds to maintain tourism infrastructure by introducing or increasing fees. This includes popular destinations such as Mount Fuji and Itsukushima Shrine.
Okinawa marks 79th anniversary of end of WWII ground battle – Okinawa Prefecture
Okinawa marked the 79th anniversary of the end of a fierce World War II ground battle between Japanese and U.S. troops that claimed over 200,000 lives. A memorial service, attended by Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, was held at the Peace Memorial Park in Itoman, the site of the final stage of the battle, where the names of 181 people were added to the list of the war dead inscribed on monuments, bringing the total to 242,225.
The fighting from March through June 1945 took a heavy toll on the local civilian population, with one in four of the Japanese southern island prefecture’s residents killed. Okinawa remained under U.S. administration until 1972 and has continued to host the bulk of U.S. forces in Japan.
In his address at the ceremony, Kishida acknowledged that Okinawa’s residents “bear the heavy burden of having a concentration of U.S. bases” in their prefecture, pledging to do his best “to ease that burden.” But Kishida’s remarks come as the central government pushes ahead with its plan to move U.S. Marine Corps Air Station Futenma from a densely populated area in Ginowan to the coastal area of Henoko in Nago, both on Okinawa’s main island.
