about Japan's 'over-tourism' 

If you dont live there you may also be….a casual…..

@@aldrickespen6863 i guess there are levels to "casual". Someone who does enough research to be sure to be respectful is for sure different than the IG tourists

This.

We welcome them as long as they are not people with special backgrounds like Johnny Somali or Logan Paul who receive money from China and insult Japan. We feel happy when we see Westerners. If possible, we would like them to obtain dual citizenship and emigrate. This country has its limits with only Japanese people. Politics is corrupted to the depths.

Please take a look at the results of a TV survey that showed that 90% of Japanese people dislike Chinese people. In contrast, non-Chinese tourists are wonderful people.

When you enter a village, obey the village. って事やね。 日本に来て全てが英語で対応してもらえるなんて思ったらあかんよ。 それは日本人が海外へ旅行した時も同じやしね。

いやオーバーツーリズムは問題だよ 京都で歩道に人が多すぎて車道にまで出てきてると言ってた 勿論マナー違反ではあるが、歩道がすいてるのに車道に出てる訳ではないからやはりオーバーツーリズムの問題はある

Thank you for sharing your advice. I agree that this is a minimum requirement for visiting any country as a guest. It is a shame that a handful of bad apples are ruining it for everyone else 😢

そうなのです。。。 桜の前での行動でよく分かります😅 桜に合わせて動くアジア人と、桜の枝を自分の位置に引っ張るアジア人で、どこの国の者か判断できます。

We know which people you’re referring to , and yes, you are absolutely right. probably ‘1a’ and ‘1b’ with the Russians, as the worst, cringe-inducing tourists in the world

As a Japanese resident living near countryside tourist spots, I often encounter similar sights to yours.

I think I know who you're referring to. The people who go to Japan and cause trouble also cause trouble in their own country too. As far as I know, they don't hate Japan, they just hate the world as a whole; Japan (and other countries) just gets caught in the fire.

Mhm understandable but I think you shouldn't categorise either way , cuz it's majority of the westerners that are streamers , and the things that they do on camera for views affects more so

The Japanese countryside truly has so much to offer! I look forward to your videos as well 😊

Sadly many things u reach only with a car. Next time for me definitely with license to drive on my own 😅

東京の観光地の近くに住んでるという事はそれなりに思う事がおありだと思います。 貴重なご意見ありがとうございます！

@@Sunny_in_Japan 沢山の外国人の方々が日本をリスペクトして来日されてるのは嬉しい事だと思ってます。 マナーを守って楽しんで帰国してほしいです。

訪れる国のマナー、文化を理解しリスペクトすることは大事ですよね。 私もタイ南部の天然の一枚岩のプールに行ったとき団体できた中にいた一組の家族が小学生に大きな声で水泳指導をはじめました。しずかでリラックスできる雰囲気が一変した事を思い出しました。

京都を取り上げてましたが、可哀そうなのは、芸姑さん・舞妓さん、これらの職業の人達は観光客に魅せる為ではなく、まず出勤して着物に着替えてお客さんの所へ向かう途中が皆さんが良く目にする光景なのを観光客の人達は知らない。街並みはそれぞれ私有地で、自撮りしたいからと敷地内に入り撮影する人達もいる。これらの人達は逆の立場で考えて欲しい。 桜の季節には枝を揺らして花びらを散らして撮影したり、木に登ったり…迷惑行為の映像を観る度に腹立たしくなる。 枝を折った場合3年以下の懲役または30万円以下の罰金または科料。顔に近づけて写したい為に枝に触るのも条例違反 、道端に落ちてる桜を拾って持ち帰るのもダメです。 ゴミを捨てる場所が無い事を認識したなら、食べ飲み歩きしなければいい。 スーパーストア・コンビニ・バス・電車内への飲食物の持ち込みも遠慮して欲しい。 日本に観光に来るのも好きになってくれるのも嬉しいが、日本人が秩序を守ってきたので素敵な国になってるので、住みたいと外国人が良く聞きますが、サニーさんや少数の外国人は日本の文化・歴史・マナーを理解してるならいいんですが、日本に住んでみて見えなかった日本独特の細かなマナーの数々に耐えられなくて母国に帰る人達も多いようです。なので、簡単に住みたいと言わないで欲しい。 ゴミの分別も大体は5種類+廃棄物、お肉・魚等入ってたトレーは洗って（すすいで）からゴミに出す。ペットボトルのフィルムもはがすとかキャップも別等、分別が多い所だと16種類とか… 今回も編集凝ってますね😉 登録者数1万まで後少し、頑張って下さい。👍

ありがとうございます！ それと貴重なご意見もありがとうございます！

I hope you have an amazing time 😊 Autumn is beautiful in Japan 🍁

Yup. It’s a paradox: the high demand for Japan is destroying what made it such a desirable destination in the first place.

Exactly. I like going to Japan to see the culture and such. If all I'm seeing around me are other westerners that detracts from the experience.

Thank you! I’m glad you found the video useful 😊

改善費用やメンテナンス費用それに人件費なども、考えると破格すぎる入場料のとこも多くありますね🧐

Thanks for your comment and insights Golden Week must have been a crazy experience but I’m glad you still had a good time I hope you are able to come to Japan again in the future and keep exploring your passion 🙂

@@Sunny_in_Japan I haven´t been to Japan for some time. travelled to Japan so far 6 times. way less times than yourself.Must admit Japan holds a special place. Always want to return.

have a family over there. and that makes all the difference

Unfortunately, renowned tourist destinations like Kyoto are already facing issues that disrupt the daily lives of both locals and visitors alike.

奈良も 京都も 外国人観光客が行く所は 集中しています。

Thank you for your comment! I can tell this is a topic you have put a lot of thought into. I think you make some really great points - do you have a blog or something? It would be great to get these recommendations out to reach the ears of the Japanese government and corporations that could make changes to the current tourism landscape.

It’s such a shame that a few bad apples ruin it for everyone else 😢

Yeah, Sakura season this year felt absolutely crazy! I heard it was very busy in Tokyo as well

ありがとうございます！

コロナ禍 前は 中国人観光客が1番 多かったですが、今は 中国本土からは ほとんど来ていないと思います。 もし、中国本土から 観光客が押し寄せたら大変です。 欧米の富裕層に絞って 観光誘致をするべきだと思います。

Thank you for your comment. I had not thought about accomodation as a barrier - you have opened my eyes 👀

I believe it differs by region, but in my experience, tourists from Europe and the Americas who visit the countryside spots where I live generally come to Japan with a good grasp of Japanese customs. Since I usually drive, I occasionally help foreign visitors who struggle to dispose of their trash while hiking or engaging in other activities. 地域によって異なると思いますが、私が住む地方の観光地を訪問する欧米圏からの観光客は総じて日本の習慣を理解して来日していることを体感しています。私は普段車を使っていますので、ハイキングなどでゴミを捨てるのに本当に困った人のゴミを私が好意で預かって処理をすることがあります。

We learn some of the rules because of youtubers who posts videos. The japanese government doesn't talk about rules, they just say to come and enjoy.

@@Justcetriyaart The Japanese government's Tourism Agency also shares etiquette awareness videos on its website. They provide posts in English, Chinese, and Korean. However, due to the sheer volume on social media, they may be challenging to find through search.If you like, please search for "JAPAN TRAVEL". You will find Japan National Tourism Organization (Official Site).

@@Justcetriyaart The Japanese government's Tourism Agency also shares etiquette awareness videos on its website. They provide posts in English, Chinese, and Korean. However, due to the sheer volume on social media, they may be challenging to find through search.If you like, please search for "JAPAN TRAVEL". You will find Japan National Tourism Organization (Official Site).

ありがとうございます😊 投稿頻度少なめですが、これからもっとスキル磨いていくので、引き続きご視聴よろしくお願いします🙇‍♀️

In my experience and from other friends I’ve spoken to, as long as you’re showing respect, you will only be shown kindness and welcome. I’m glad you had a good experience at that more local restaurant, it’s such a shame to hear they are receiving negative reviews for not having English! Especially since we can just use Google translate on our phones…

I feel that Google Translate also has some problems. I feel that accuracy in languages ​​other than English is inferior. When someone from a non-English speaking country is translating complaints or important issues, I think it's better to insert English in between and not translate directly. Native language → English → Japanese There are fewer mistakes this way.

そもそも日本に来てるのになぜ日本語を話せないんですか?日本人が英語が話せないのを批判するよりあなたが日本語を話してください。

On the flip side, despite negative reviews on Google, it's quite common to have a delightful experience and enjoy delicious food at a restaurant. As a Japanese individual, I occasionally feel the adverse impact of social media when I witness long queues of foreign tourists at certain eateries.

@@gotakazawa408 Yeah, people can be weird on social media. I've learned not to trust google reviews and sometimes even the info can be outdated or just plain wrong. Also, we had a tour guide say if you see a place with a lot of foreigners in line, it might be overhyped. Instead, He told us to check whether or not Japanese people were lining up for the food. It was a pretty good tip.

I’m glad you found the video helpful 🙂 Kanazawa sounds like a beautiful place to move to - I hope you have an amazing time! Are you planning on working while you’re there or more of an extended holiday?

@@Sunny_in_Japan Many Thanks! We’ll be living & working

Thank you for your comment! I agree, the popular spots are popular for a reason and I also prioritised them the first time! I hope you get a chance to visit Japan again so you can tick more places off your list 🙂

Thank you for your insights. I think I agree with your line of thought!

As a Japanese person, your opinion is very valuable to me. As you know, in Japan, you can discover great nature, culture, and scenery even in the countryside outside of Tokyo, Kyoto, and Osaka. We look forward to seeing you again.

@@gotakazawa408 I love Japan, for me it´s the most special place I have been to...

@@biricikkiz7 thank you! We look forward to seeing you again!

お役に立てたなら光栄です☺️ 英語の授業頑張って下さい✊

GWあけに東京から京都に行こうとしてるんだけどまだ混んでるかな…😂

It is a challenging situation and hopefully the Japanese government will support local cities and their businesses to handle the increasing tourism to maximise the benefits to the local people 🤞 I hear there are places in Europe that are actually holding protests due to the overtourism they are experiencing, so it looks like it’s a problem countries outside of Japan are also facing at the moment 🤔

I fully understand and agree with you. The Japanese government should support local cities. People in trouble should be well supported. I just wanted to say that we might need to turn this problem into an opportunity. Unfortunately, we are facing a lot of problems in Japan like drastic reduction of the population and losing the competitiveness in major industries. Inbound tourists could be a great opportunity for us and out future benefits, if we can handle this situation in a good manner. They seem to be overwhelming right now, though. No pain, no gain, right?

@@YukiGawinski As a Japanese, I pretty much agree with your viewpoint. The Japanese government has set ambitious targets for attracting foreign tourists to Japan. It's essential that we assist local governments in ensuring the safety and well-being of local residents while also benefiting them.

Hi there, honestly anywhere north of Tokyo and south/west of Osaka is still pretty -underexplored. I don’t know Tokyo very well, but Osaka (apart from Dotonbori region) is so fun in my opinion. Kyoto is where you might feel a bit overwhelmed imo. It’s beautiful and popular for a reason, so I would recommend exploring in the mornings and on weekdays for a more pleasant experience 🙂 Overtourism is definitely in part an infrastructure issue so as long as you’re respectful and considerate (which sounds like you are!) I think you’ll be welcomed and have a great time 🙂

Thank you so much 😊

Thank you for your insights, this is so helpful. My guess is many people travelling to Japan feel the same way, which is exactly why we’re seeing congregation in accessible and large cities. I’m curious to see how Japan will respond. They’ve begun now with fines in Gion and restricting numbers to Mt Fuji, so let’s wait and see what happens I guess.

I hope you are able to make it there some day and have an amazing time 🙂

Thank you for your comment How exciting to be visiting Japan for the first time 🤗 I really like the areas around Shinsaibashi in Osaka and Nakazakicho for cafes and thrift shopping. Umeda is also pretty amazing! Downtown Osaka is the one that is very busy, but undoubtedly iconic. In terms of Kyoto, I really do love Kiyomizu-dera, Arashiyama and all the other very busy spots - they’re popular for a reason! If you are brave enough, going early in the morning is pretty bearable 😊 If you like tea, I hear Uji is THE place to go for matcha. Otherwise, if you like just chilling, anywhere along the Kamo river in Kyoto is 👌👌 Best of luck!

Thank you so much ☺️

That’s right, so much construction is happening around Osaka right in preparation. I’m so glad Japan’s culture has become world-renowned, it really is such a special country! Unfortunately as the number of tourists increase anywhere, the number of disrespectful tourists will inevitably increase. I guess it’s just a matter of how the Japanese government responds to minimise the negative impacts of that many people. I hope you have a lovely time when you visit with your family this year! I’m sure you will all have a great time 🙂🇯🇵

ありがとうございます😊 より多くの方が楽しめる動画に出来ればと思います！

せっかちですいません💦 RU-vid機能の1/2倍速などをお使い頂ければ幸いです😅

いえいえ、サニーさんが悪いのではありません。 ちゃんと理解したいだけです。 動画をアップするのは大変だと思います。こらからも、有意義な動画を楽しみにしてます。 ありがとうございます。。

お気遣いありがとうございます😭 これからもよろしくお願いします🙇‍♀️

Hi Jonathan, it’s great to hear an example of a place that seems to be managing tourism in a sustainable way

Yea, good point

Thank you for your honesty. It is something I often worry about too, when I’m eating out without my Japanese husband.

So when Japanese people come to your country, do you speak to them in Japanese? Or do you expect them to speak your language (English)? Why is it different the other way around when you go to THEIR country? Just learn how to order your food.

@@BC33714 this person never said anything about having an expectation of Japanese people speaking English. Stop trying to strawman.

田舎だからといって外国人を歓迎しない様なことはないと思います。翻訳機などを使ってコミュニケーションすれば問題なく過ごせると思います。ただし、田舎では自家用車での移動が多いため観光客の移動手段が限られているのでその点で苦労があると思います。 私も田舎の雰囲気が好きです😊

Thank you for your comment. If that model works in other countries perhaps it is something Japan could consider 🤔 or perhaps they already are…

こちらこそご視聴いただきありがとうございます！

彼女は観光客ではなく、今は住民です

観光の観光ですか。。😊

Thank you for your insight, there is so much to be proud of in Kyoto! It’s so beautiful 😍 How do you think smaller cities can promote themselves to attract more tourists? Using more English, or perhaps enlisting the power of more online influencers?

@@Sunny_in_Japan As a Japanese individual, I believe that effectively utilizing social media and promoting English support will pose a challenge. In reality, Japan's countryside boasts stunning nature, delectable cuisine, and a vibrant culture. However, regrettably, the proportion of English speakers is significantly lower compared to urban areas, partly due to the aging population.

ありがとうございます！ これからもよろしくお願いします🙇‍♀️

I’ve seen Iwate pop up on social media a couple of times but it’s quite far from Tokyo and Kansai so i guess that makes it difficult for tourists to visit What were your favourite places there?

@@Sunny_in_Japan yeah, we went there from Sendai by renting a car. We were driving around prefecture and had a mix of Haikyuu pilgrimage with regular sightseeing. But since I personally don’t drive, I was checking out to which locations it’s possible to get by train in case if I want to bring my friend’s group there next time. Tono is a good destination, that’s available by trains. It’s small, charming and has a good beer haha. Also Sendai is a good destination (imo) for a weekend trip and it’s 2,5 hours from Tokyo by Shinkansen.

@summerbirds1549 thanks for the recommendations!

Thank you for your insights. I can see you have a lot of experience in Japan and have spent time thinking about this issue In terms of accessibility and time being a limitation to travelling, have you ever utilised domestic flights and how did you find the experience? I’ve only taken them a few times but they seem like a cheaper and faster way of travelling than by bullet train, but whenever I’ve taken one I rarely see many other non-Japanese people board. 🤔

I like to stress that what should really be done is to curb bad and borderline criminal behavior of the visitors. Although again, I can see the challenges of implementing such, since the approach here is mostly non-confrontational (as opposed to Singapore who is more open in such - Singaporean here btw 😅).

​@@Sunny_in_JapanUsed a few times. In my most recent trip during April, I visited Matsuyama before flying over to the other cities. I find them to be affordable (typically 10k yen or so, and usually less than 1.5hrs). Great alternative for sure to get around Japan but the flying routine (like check in and luggage) can be taunting. Although, yes we can also adopt the local luggage transfer services available for such transports but I have not endeavor on such transfer in the more rural/mountainous areas. I believe this is something that can be looked into in greater depth.

Yeah I haven’t tried the luggage transfer service yet but it sounds super cool. Does the Singaporean government very heavily enforce its rules and regulations or do you think the number of signs and reputation are enough or a deterrent to prevent bad behaviour? I know one common complaint in Gion is that the signs for no photography were not overly obvious so people would miss them. I wonder how much of an impact just larger and scarier signage and bigger fines would have… 🤔

@@Sunny_in_Japan Purely my own opinions and observations only. I feel like Singapore copes ok with tourism due to a few primary factors: 1. Regiment/Reputation : Summarily, to 'incite fear'. We are known as 'Fine' City for a reason and for anyone coming into Singapore or has performed any research on us will at some point come across our history/media exposure of bearing zero-tolerance on certain behavior/action(s). I believe this has in part deter or inculcate visitors to 'behave' when coming to Singapore. It's not uncommon for my foreign friends/visitors to ask me the do's-and-dont's coming here. This is historically one of the fastest ways of getting things done or to correct a certain behavior. However, different from Japan who mainly inculcate morals, good behaviours and social norms from young, Singapore was build ground up like this - a mixture of punishment and moral education. Do we as locals wish we could do it more organically like Japan? Absolutely. But Singapore also didn't have thousand/hundred of years of history to cultivate such a growth. We needed things fast and going. Do we feel confined as locals here? I personally think it's ok, and our government is sound in their thoughts, execution and the end result is a very safe Singapore. 2. Singapore demography Summarily, our demographic and I like to say 'tolerance level'. Unlike Japan which is primarily made up of 'one race' , Singapore is made up of four major races. And a bulk of our population/workforce are foreign. Many of the citizens were foreigners who were neutralized. Even the native locals so to speak, could be made up of a mixture of different ethnicities, originated from China, SE Asia and etc - in that sense, the concept of true native and foreigners is quite diluted here. Over in Japan, where you witness bad visitors behavior from say a certain nationality may just be a normal day affair where I am from since there are many such neutralized-natives. They naturally fine tune to the local societal norms after a while too. In this regard, I think I am more adaptable to certain behaviours - and so to speak, my tolerance level for 'rudeness' extended. Even more so, it's easier for me to distinguish that not all visitors are badly behaved but sometimes unable to adhere to the standards that locals uphold since there is a rudimental difference in their living standards and culture. To some visitors, talking loudly or standing in the middle of a path is acceptable where they are and they do that for their entire life - having to suddenly live a different life altogether for 1-2 weeks out in Japan may be beyond them. And then we have the truly bad visitors who just don't care. In that regard, I definitely observed that native Japanese don't expect the same level of native standards and they are highly tolerable with visitor's behaviour, but more can definitely be done by the higher-ups to bridge the gap and expectations. And I think this bridging has to be done soon given their increasing reliance on foreign workers who will eventually form part of the population (as with Singapore). 3. Miscellaneous On a side note about statistics, I also believe the visitors stay period plays a part in the crowd intensity. Referring to Japan published visitor's average duration of stay (in 2019 which has the highest visitors), 10% stayed within 3 days, 50% stayed 4-6 and the remaining 40% stayed 7 days and beyond. This is different from Singapore whose average stay is around 4 days maximum (as I believe most traveled into Singapore to use it as a stopover for other SE Asia/destinations) - in this sense, we have faster visitors turnaround time to deal with. Additionally, I can't be wrong to assume that seasons also play a crucial part in the visiting numbers for Japan. This is aside from their local traveling population which is already immense (during periods like New Year and Golden Week). It's my opinion that the Japanese government would need to deep dive into more proactive measures, and have the tenacity to put out the reactive ones and execute them through and through. Half-baked efforts like leaving up signs hoping people act in good faith and or leaving prefectures to deal with their own predicaments (like the sign that is gonna be erected at Dawson @ Mt Fuji, and what is next if foreigners block the next structure with Fuji view? Block the entire mountain?) ain't quite gonna cut it and it's just gonna make traveling for the locals not enjoyable as well.

京都も 奈良も 外国人観光客が行く所は 集中しています。

That’s a good point about the JR pass haha. Did they ever provide an explanation as to why it was going up by so much? Is this your first time renting a car in Japan? Was it simple enough to transfer over your licence?

​@@Sunny_in_Japan It was the first increase in decades, so afaik they gave increasing costs as the main reason. I guess we will have to see and wait, how this and maybe next year's tourists will get around. Tbh, with carriers like Jetstar and Peach, flying is currently the cheaper and more convenient option on many routes. Regarding driving, it will be my first time in Japan. I am currently getting my German driver's license translated by a recognized provider, because Germany is part of the Vienna Agreement on Road Traffic from 1968 while Japan (like Australia btw) is part of the Geneva Agreement from 1949. Thus, my International Driver's Permit is not recognized, like it was when I rented in the US and Canada, for example. So I will need to show my national license together with the authorized translation. Fingers crossed, that everything will go smoothly. I'll gladly send an update in July.

Yeah I have to agree, at the moment flying domestically seems like the cheapest and fastest way to go but I’m keen to check out some more regional train lines and if they have any passes foreigners are eligible for 🤞 Best of luck for July, I’m sure it’ll be grand and can’t wait to hear updates! 🚗💨

It can be very overwhelming and exhausting in the popular parts of Kyoto 😰

I live here in Japan in a non-touristy area (Tohoku region). I *maybe* see 1-2 tourists a week AT MOST up here in my little city. Anyways, I went down to Tokyo last weekend. It was shocking to say the least. Every single train I got on probably had more foreigners than Japanese people. Any restaurant you would go into was basically gauranteed to be 1/2 tourists. The last time I went to Tokyo was last summer, and I thought it wasn't too bad then. Less than a year later, it's gotten way way worse. I remember thinking there were a lot of tourists in Tokyo 10 years ago...I would've never imagined that it would end up getting THIS bad.

@@BC33714 I had the same experience with the inaka: I lived in 2010-13 in Niigata prefecture and there were hardly any western people in that region and visiting Tokyo back in 2013 I though there were already too many tourists. Little did I know...

一気に解決するのは難しいと思うので、少しずつ解決に導きたいですね！

I don’t know how much I can do on my own but visiting the countryside and uncovering its treasures would be super fun 🤭

本当に伸びて欲しいですね！私も応援しています。

本来のあるべき姿が変わってしまうのは、本当に悲しいですね。

I experienced my first Hanami this year and yes it was beautiful but I was surprised by the amount of people 😱 I get it though. It’s probably on a lot of people’s bucket lists to see at least once, but yeah, this year’s late Sakura shows how hard it can be to time your trip. This is my first time going into a Japanese summer and I am so nervous 😬 I really liked autumn the one time I went too, it’s so beautiful 😍🍁

I’m glad I’m not the only one! 😅 Thanks for your recommendations I’ve been trying the 100yen samples and Pantene looks promising so far 🤞

Thank you for your recommendations! I would feel overwhelmed too, so I sympathise. What places in Ibaraki prefecture do you recommend in particular?

In Ibaraki, there are places like Hitachi Seaside Park and Mount Tsukuba, but a highly recommended is sweet potatoes. At a store called Kaitsuka, they sell incredibly sweet roasted sweet potatoes that you wouldn't believe are just sweet potatoes.

Oh thank you for the recommendations! I’d love to try that sweet potato 😍

Those all sound like fabulous things to me! I guess to find these things, I often look them up on social media in English, so there’s more likely to be info about places in Kyoto and Osaka, but whenever I find a place that looks good outside of those areas, I also bookmark those for if I can ever visit them in the future 😊

Sure thing, I’m building such kind of a bookmark in English for inbound travelers .

Thank you for your comment. I am envious of how many amazing countries you have traveled to 😍 I hope when you do make it to Japan you have an amazing time. I know you said you don’t mind going at sub-optimal times, but let me recommend avoiding rainy season (June/July) as there are typhoons and it can be physically impossible to leave the house and things like planes and trains get cancelled, and a week in early May called Golden Week. It is a national holiday the scale of New Year’s / Xmas in the West and everything goes x100 in price. Apart from that, wherever you go, you will have an amazing time, whatever you do 🙂 From my experience, Japanese people I have met have never expected me to know the intricacies of Japanese social rules and conform to them. As long as you’re respectful they are very welcoming and love sharing their culture 🙃

@@Sunny_in_Japan, that's some great info about the rainy season and Golden Week. Thank you. We normally travel in September, January, or February. So we should be good. My wife works in tourism here in the States and those tend to be the least busy months. From the middle of March through early August, and then around the bigger holidays, she works almost all the time and we don't do much traveling. We often do budget travel, so we go wherever the best flight or hotel deals take us, as opposed to choosing a place to go and then figuring it out. But I think we've both warmed up to the idea of visiting Japan, so we might start planning for it. It'll probably be a couple years before we can make it happen. Maybe by then I'll at least be able to say "please" and "thank you" in Japanese. For convoluted reasons I won't go into, I spent a week mostly by myself in Rome last year, and my inability to communicate in Italian was very frustrating and embarrassing. I went into it thinking I was going to do better.

@matthewconstantine5015 inability to communicate can be very frustrating, I totally get it Seeing where a flight takes you seems like a super fun and spontaneous way to travel I love it haha

落ち着いた京都見てみたいなぁ😌 観光の観光ですね☺️

That’s true, following the crowd is always a safe option in Japan 🇯🇵

I always find the escalator thing so interesting. In some places it's stand on the left, other places its stand on the right. Up here in the Sendai area (where I live), there is no "rule" for the escalators and people stand wherever they want.

うまく伝わっていたなら良かったです☺️

I’m sorry to hear you weren’t able to check everything you wanted to off your list 😢

@@Sunny_in_Japan well i could, but decided against it. And it was also a great experience to discover just by pointing on the map and go there (most of the time) 😃

@final_war2636 haha that sounds fun and yes it’s pretty much impossible to disappoint yourself wherever you go in Japan 😄

Did the doco happen to outline any solutions or recommendations for overcoming overtourism? 😅

@@Sunny_in_Japan : No effective solutions mentioned, unfortunately.

@jimtakahashi4638 I guess it’s a challenge other countries are also trying to solve at the moment

@@Sunny_in_Japan : As a VEGANist/environmentalist, I’m even more against cruise ship tourism, which is a big problem here in NZ as well.

What was the documentary?

Thank you for your comment What do you think would be an effective way to encourage tourists to visit these less-explored regions?

@@Sunny_in_Japan As you know, many foreign tourists visit Japan after getting information through social media. The Japanese side understands this, and local cities are disseminating information to overseas visitors through SNS, RU-vid, and other platforms. However, these efforts have not received much attention. In fact, many influencers refer primarily to Tokyo, Osaka, Kyoto, Hokkaido, and Okinawa. Unless a significant number of influencers grasp this situation, sound the alarm about overtourism, and create a major trend to direct tourists to the regions, it will be difficult to disperse tourists.

@realstage1925 thank you for your thoughts. I’m excited to see how this SNS landscape changes as Japan continues to push for and support content creators that funnel foreign tourists into lesser known areas 🤔

なるほどー🧐 その視点はなかったです。 ありがとうございます！

それはナンセンスな意見だと思いますよ。 入国制限でゼロ人にするなら災害時の犠牲者はゼロ人になりますが、それ以外は入国者数に応じて犠牲者が発生します。

Thank you for your comment. I have always wondered how accessible Japan was for tourism compared to other countries When you say research - are there RU-vidrs or specific places you look that provide good quality and reliable accessibility information regarding travel in Japan?

How did you find Saga Prefecture?

@@Sunny_in_Japan Saw it in Yuri on Ice and Zombieland Saga. Stayed in both Karatsu and Saga city.

Yeah right! How did you like it there? Would you recommend it, even to someone who hasn’t watched the shows?

@@Sunny_in_Japan It is pretty good. Karatsu is a beautiful area, the areas along the Nagasaki Border have many nice pottery towns and shrines. Saga City is kinda boring, but it is close to some neat things like Yoshinogari Park. Tosu is the 3rd largest city in the Prefecture and it is an industrial dump not worth visiting but good transport access

@linuxman7777 thanks for the tips!!

Oh I’m sorry to hear that is happening. It is a shame the visitors are not following local laws Unfortunately I don’t know how much power or sway I have and I think most people watching my videos, like yourself, have nothing but respect for Japan and its laws. However, if I’m ever in a position to be able to help in any way, I will do my best 💪

@@Sunny_in_Japan Your videos are incredibly informative. I believe it's crucial for them to keep disseminating such valuable information, and we Japanese truly appreciate their efforts.

Yes, Japanese media also seems to broadcast a lot of European-looking tourists. Perhaps because they’re just easier to spot like you say haha Agreed, I’ve been met with only positivity from Japanese people I’ve spoken to about tourists, but I do sometimes worry about being clumped in with a few bad apples I superficially look like

ありがとうございます！ 今は日本人の旦那と日本に住んでます！ シャンプーの紹介もありがとうございます！ 一度試してみます🙇‍♀️

AIがどう貢献出来るかは未知ですね🧐

nah, way off. Japanese tourists are almost always well behaved and follow the rules. Anytime I see visitors in Japan acting obnoxious, entitled, blatantly breaking rules it's gaijin tourists.

@@unkopower7899 Because you're supposed to be our barometer now for a country 380K km² big and its 125 million inhabitants? We'll let you know when we'll need you to be our source to assess anything in Japan. Oh? And just so you know the foreign tourists are also almost always well behaved and follow rules which aren't even rules 99% of the time in the first place but simple common sense applied all around the world.

@@puccaland and you'r the expert. LOL. "And just so you know the foreign tourists are also almost always well behaved " Obviously you've never even been to Japan.

@@unkopower7899 I have been living there for 19 years and have traveled all around Japan since the 90's. You know? When foreign tourists were a rare sight? I am no expert but I for sure know Japan better than you. And I also have businesses in hospitality business and invest in tourism. So you might wanna try someone else.

@@puccaland So you are fluent in the language

ありがとうございます！

I’ve heard a blockade was recently placed at that conbini because of too many tourists taking photos of that location 😕

@@Sunny_in_Japan As reported in the mass media, curtains have been installed along the road to deter photography. It's regrettable, but I believe it's a necessary precaution from a safety perspective. On a different note, Fuefuki City is garnering attention as a picturesque destination offering views of Lake Kawaguchi and Mt. Fuji.

You can visit, but when you do, just avoid the major Hotspots of Tokyo, Kyoto and Osaka. If you go to a city like Matsue in Shimane Prefecture they will be glad to have you there.

I often hear this narrative and just assumed it was true but my Japanese husband says he doesn’t know any Japanese people that have that mentality so it made me question where that narrative actually came from haha 🤔

@@Sunny_in_Japan Well sorry to disagree but history says otherwise. Take care.

all major tourist areas " tolerate tourists for the money". Do you think locals in Hawaii actually like tourists?

Do you think short form content from tiktok and instagram reels was a factor in this trend, or do you think it started before tiktok appeared on the scene?

@@Sunny_in_Japan Absolutely. Everyone wants the shots/videos to show they are cool too. I’ve noticed a HUGE difference in Japan last year vs 2019. 2019 was rammed, but it was different, very different kinds of tourists and it was mainland Chinese who were getting the worst rep. Last year was bad, but this year is apparently even worse - I’m not going until 2025 but friends who live in Japan are heartbroken because of what’s going on.

@@Sunny_in_Japan It was basically a perfect storm. The border reopening, the collapse of the yen, and Japan blowing up on social media all happened around the same time. So basically all these people started getting Japan constantly pushed in their faces on social media and they realized that they could actually afford to go now. So everyone started flocking in. Which brings us to the current mess we are in.

🤪🤪