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Tourists in Kyoto cause chaos at railway crossing near Fushimi Inari Taisha

51 Comments
By SoraNews24

Kyoto has long been feeling the strain of overtourism, which not only places a burden on tourist sites but local residents, who find it difficult to go about their daily lives. This struggle was clearly evident near Fushimi Inari Taisha last week, when a dangerous situation arose at a railway crossing.

On January 26, a large group of tourists were making their way over the crossing when the alarm began to sound, indicating the imminent arrival of an oncoming train. When the alarm rings out at a Japanese railway crossing such as this one, the poles lower automatically to prevent people from entering the crossing, but on this particular day, tourists ignored all the warning signs, continuing over the tracks as the poles jostled around their heads.

▼ This report shows the chaotic scene as it unfolded.

With no sign of the crowd abating, the emergency button was pressed, alerting the driver of the oncoming train, who stopped the vehicle. As a result, the train was delayed for roughly 20 minutes, inconveniencing commuters.

Thankfully, the quick-thinking actions of whoever pressed the emergency button helped to prevent a major incident, but according to local residents and shopkeepers, overcrowding at this site isn’t an anomaly, with tourists impeding the proper functioning of the crossing numerous times every week.

Kyoto City employs security guards to help control the crowds here at busy times such as New Year’s and sakura cherry blossom season, but there are no guards overseeing the site at this time of year. This is proving to be problematic, though, as the end of January and early February coincides with the Chinese New Year holiday period, when Japan sees a large uptick in Chinese tourists, and reports say the voices in the crowd at the railway crossing were heard to be Chinese.

▼ This site becomes incredibly congested as it’s located at the start of the approach to the shrine, which has a history stretching back more than 1,300 years.

Screenshot-2025-02-05-at-8.19.27.png

According to reports, the congestion that occurred here on January 26 was particularly bad as it wasn’t just one group but two groups trying to cross, each from either side, at the same time. Rather than stick to one side of the street, tourists on both sides walked freely across, bumping into each other as they did so, causing confusion that made it nearly impossible to safely cross over to the other side.

▼ This cued-up section of the report shows how the two groups collided, causing the congestion.

It’s not just people making their way over the tracks here, as regular vehicles also share the narrow road. When crowds like this gather, it becomes difficult for cars to cross, as evidenced in the above report, where a taxi could be seen barely making it to the other side of the crossing before the pole came down on the boot of the vehicle.

With problems occurring at the railway crossing several times a week, this is an issue that clearly needs to be addressed. While some might argue that Kyoto City should employ security guards at the site full-time, with so many popular tourist sites scattered around the area, there’s only so much the city can do. Perhaps a more feasible solution to the problem would be to post signs at the crossing to indicate which side of the road pedestrians should stand stand, to prevent foot traffic from colliding with each other. However, walking two-or-three-abreast might result in large groups being split in two, and with wait times at the crossing being roughly seven minutes, this could only exacerbate the problem.

Perhaps an open discussion between the city, the railway operator and tour guides would be the most effective solution. Clear communication between all parties could result in tour groups being better equipped to time their crossings to avoid the passing trains, leading to a happy compromise for everyone involved.

Source: FNN via Yahoo! News Japan

Read more stories from SoraNews24.

-- Bad tourist manners at Mt Fuji Lawson photo spot prompts Japanese town to block view with screens

-- Explore Kyoto tourist site Fushimi Inari Taisha shrine with Unreal Engine 4 【Video】

-- See a whole other side of Kyoto in this beautiful, quintessentially Japanese train, coming soon

© SoraNews24

©2025 GPlusMedia Inc.

51 Comments
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Stupid behaviour from people old enough to know better.

24 ( +31 / -7 )

Can we please discuss this kind of thing without it descending into racism against Chinese people.

-34 ( +10 / -44 )

A stronger yen and general education (everywhere) about how to be a decent tourist would go a long way to preventing this kind of scene.

7 ( +13 / -6 )

More tourist bashing. 99.9999999% are among people. But yea let’s focus on the 0.0000001%. Typical

-34 ( +5 / -39 )

リッチ Please watch the video before commenting.

16 ( +21 / -5 )

“Can we please discuss this kind of thing without it descending into racism against Chinese people.”

Pointing out the fact that many Chinese tourists visit Kyoto during their lunar New Year holidays is not racism.

19 ( +28 / -9 )

Perhaps a more feasible solution to the problem would be to post signs at the crossing to indicate which side of the road pedestrians should stand stand, to prevent foot traffic from colliding with each other.

At my local crossings, there are always a line of people walking and riding their bike on the wrong side. So I think they need to teach Japanese to follow the rules, first.

0 ( +8 / -8 )

While some might argue that Kyoto City should employ security guards at the site full-time, with so many popular tourist sites scattered around the area, there’s only so much the city can do.

There seems to be an endless supply of old dudes standing outside building parking lots, directing traffic. How about hiring a few of them?

4 ( +8 / -4 )

Before anyone gets upset over foreign tourists. I think it is important to remember that 70% of al inbound tourists to Kyoto or any other famous landmarks in Japan, are actually native Japanese. I saw a news report from NHK stating that inland tourism has seen a surge due to the Yen's depreciation and lackluster wage growths the recent years.

So keep that in mind before we start blaming everything on foreign tourists.

-8 ( +11 / -19 )

I think it is important to remember that 70% of al inbound tourists to Kyoto or any other famous landmarks in Japan, are actually native Japanese

2024 saw 37 million foreign visitors to Japan

https://asia.nikkei.com/Business/Travel-Leisure/Foreign-tourists-to-Japan-hit-record-37m-in-2024-up-47-on-weak-yen

0 ( +7 / -7 )

So I think they need to teach Japanese to follow the rules, first.

Two things can be true at the same time. That some Japanese fail to follow rules doesn't give tourists carte blanche to have at it with no regards to rules or public behaviour.

5 ( +9 / -4 )

The issue isn't really tourists per se, nor their origin, but simply the fact that the vast majority of them now absolutely need to do the same unoriginal selfies for their instagrams. That's why huge lines are forming and traffic is disrupted.

3 ( +6 / -3 )

Blame the foreigners as usual.

-16 ( +9 / -25 )

In 2023, 75.18 million people visited Kyoto Prefecture, Japan, and 50.28 million visited Kyoto City. The ratio of international guest nights largely rose from 37.5% in March 2023 to 55.1% in April, the first over 50% since October 2019.

3 ( +6 / -3 )

Strikebreaker555Today  06:21 pm JST

Before anyone gets upset over foreign tourists. I think it is important to remember that 70% of al inbound tourists to Kyoto or any other famous landmarks in Japan, are actually native Japanese.

Watch the video. Do you really think native Japanese, who grow up with train track 踏み切りfrom kindergarten onwards would behave like this?

6 ( +13 / -7 )

Typical Japanese journalism drumming up anti-foreign sentiment. The only reason this is being reported is because it involves non-Japanese.

Can you imagine any news outlet in Japan reporting the same situation if the people involved were Japanese? “People cross train crossing as the gates close”

No. It’s almost a daily occurrence in Japan and, rightly so, it only gets reported when people get injured or killed.

Seriously, why is this story being reported?!

-10 ( +9 / -19 )

Newgirlintown - no, we can’t

-5 ( +3 / -8 )

Absolutely stupid.

OssanAmerika:

Do you really think native Japanese, who grow up with train track 踏み切りfrom kindergarten onwards would behave like this?

Did you say something similar when all those Japanese were crushed walking along a bridge in Akashi? You know, Japanese people walk along pedestrian bridges all the time, so surely they wouldn't have behaved like that. 11 people dead and nearly 200 injured. Please think before you write. No matter how hard you try, you're not Japanese.

-10 ( +7 / -17 )

The xenophobic Japanese media strike again

-17 ( +6 / -23 )

All these comments saying they are blaming foreigners……and Japan is xenophobic….well duhhh…..it’s because it is due to foreign tourists. A lot of them not by coincidence being from China since it’s the CNY.

10 ( +13 / -3 )

Just let the stupid people go for good.

Or they will do it again anyway.

0 ( +6 / -6 )

The xenophobic Japanese media strike again

SoraNews24 is an online magazine run by foreign ex-pats that highlights the quirky Japanese as though they, the Japanese, were a curiosity in a zoo

4 ( +10 / -6 )

> Harry_GattoToday  04:38 pm JST

Stupid behaviour from people old enough to know better.

No it's the tour leaders vault not giving instructions to go in smaller groups and spread out and wait.

Group behaviour is not individual behaviour - people will do things in groups they would not do by themselves.

-11 ( +3 / -14 )

It wouldn't matter if they were Chinese, American or Japanese without clear guidance and crowd control, you're going to get the same result - humans are like sheep in large groups and don't always act logically.

If it were because they are Chinese, then they would have this problem every day in China, but they don't.

-3 ( +4 / -7 )

It is what it is and the video does not lie!

6 ( +9 / -3 )

Nobody discussing countermeasures: paint lanes with arrows on where to walk; widen crossing; increase time between trains; crossing guards like train platform in busy subway station; put turnstile like that locks and blocks people when maximum number is in que to cross; pedestrian bridge;...

4 ( +4 / -0 )

Calling out facts is never racist

The fact is this problem is caused by Chinese tourists or the majority of people causing the problem are Chinese tourists.

9 ( +12 / -3 )

Nobody discussing countermeasures: paint lanes with arrows on where to walk; widen crossing; increase time between trains; crossing guards like train platform in busy subway station; put turnstile like that locks and blocks people when maximum number is in que to cross; pedestrian bridge;.

Apart from the last one, which most people will usually ignore for the shorter and faster way, these are all pretty dumb suggestions.

Don't take that wrong. Or do.

-2 ( +2 / -4 )

Pukey2Today  08:44 pm JST

Absolutely stupid.

OssanAmerika:

Absolutely stupid describes people who can't comprehend the danger of being on a train crossing when those gates come down. Also describes those who can't differentiate that from a bridge which under normal circimstances poses no danger.

8 ( +11 / -3 )

The majority of tourist groups in Kyoto are Americans.

Based on recent statistics, Americans constitute the largest group of foreign visitors to Kyoto, making them the dominant tourist group in the city. 

"Breakdown of foreign lodgers in Kyoto, Japan 2023 by citizenship. In 2023, approximately 778.98 thousand American tourists visited Kyoto in Japan. American tourists comprised the largest share of foreign lodgers visiting the city in 2023, followed by tourists from China."

https://www.statista.com/statistics/1181132/japan-number-of-foreign-lodgers-in-kyoto-by-nationality/#:~:text=Breakdown%20of%20foreign%20lodgers%20in%20Kyoto%2C%20Japan%202023%20by%20citizenship&text=In%202023%2C%20approximately%20778.98%20thousand,followed%20by%20tourists%20from%20China.

-1 ( +2 / -3 )

To get to basics, why does Japan have so many level crossings? When I lived in London, I knew only one or two places where they existed, and that was 50 years ago.

1 ( +5 / -4 )

These people are Muppets living on plant La La, probably thinking about their next Tik Tok or Instagram post.

-6 ( +2 / -8 )

Was anyone hurt? Was the train delayed? Why is this a story?

-5 ( +1 / -6 )

wallaceToday  10:24 pm JST

The majority of tourist groups in Kyoto are Americans.

Based on recent statistics, Americans constitute the largest group of foreign visitors to Kyoto, making them the dominant tourist group in the city. 

That's on an annual basis. But if it were broken down into late Jan-early Feb when many Chinese tourists take trips during the CNY and Lantern Festival, I am sure you will find that the Chinese would be the largest group in that period. Looking at that video I don't see many (if any) American looking tourists.

3 ( +5 / -2 )

What a stupid article written with a click bait title.

I don't see any tourists causing a chaos. More people trying to save their life in a dangerous situation.

This is more another proof of incompetent Japanese officials failing to provide working solutions to the increased tourism. And JapanToday as usual put a sensational title to get interaction from readers as they do not have any other kind of genuine journalism happening.

-4 ( +5 / -9 )

didoToday 09:42 pm JST

No it's the tour leaders vault not giving instructions to go in smaller groups and spread out and wait.

Nonsense. Are you seriously suggesting that adults believe that it's OK to try and cross rail lines when the bells are ringing, lights are flashing and the barriers are coming down? Are you saying that despite all of this they believe that as their tour guides have not told them to stop they should cross anyway?

HiJapanToday 10:35 pm JST

Was anyone hurt? Was the train delayed? Why is this a story?

If you'd read the article before commenting you would have seen this:-

As a result, the train was delayed for roughly 20 minutes, inconveniencing commuters.

7 ( +11 / -4 )

gsa: "This is more another proof of incompetent Japanese officials failing to provide working solutions to the increased tourism."

BINGO! And of course, foreign tourists are the popular scapegoats. I think every sentence related to foreign tourism here and in Japanese news should start with, "Foreign tourists, who brought in ¥3 Trillion (or however much it was) last year alone..."

OssanAmerica: "Looking at that video I don't see many (if any) American looking (sic) tourists."

What do Americans look like, pres tel? Never seen any Asian Americans before? or are they all white or black in your mind? Once again, as a poster pointed out above, Ossan:

"No matter how hard you try, you're not Japanese."

-9 ( +4 / -13 )

You want everything to be 'World Heritage' so don't moan when foreign visitors visit the sites.

-6 ( +0 / -6 )

The video says the rail company already uses traffic wardens at busy times like cherry blossom. What seems to have happened here is that they didn't realize that Chinese New Year would also become a busy time. The video just shows the area being too crowded for the crossing to clear once the siren sounds. It does not show anyone ignoring Japanese manners. It says there is a rush of people when the barriers go up, but that is the same as every other busy level crossing in Japan.

It is a clear bottleneck and an accident waiting to happen. A lot of the tourists appear to be on group tours, whose bus will stop at a car park decided by the authorities. I don't know the area, but there may be scope to get some buses to drop off people elsewhere and ease the number at this crossing.

4 ( +4 / -0 )

The increase in tourism was an official Japanese government plan. Maybe a part of that plan should have been the pedestrianisation of tourist areas and the deployment of men with coloured sticks, of which Japan has an inexhaustible supply. Or were they just thinking of the extra cash and didn't bother about the rest.

This shrine is a busy bottleneck on a quiet day, every time a train stops and offloads. I've been to Kyoto at Chinese New Year and it is rammed with Chinese tourists. I'm amazed that the tourist wardens were not there at this time. Staff shortages, poor management or were they just saving a few Yen?

2 ( +4 / -2 )

Harry_GattoFeb. 5  11:04 pm JST

didoToday 09:42 pm JST

No it's the tour leaders vault not giving instructions to go in smaller groups and spread out and wait.

Nonsense. Are you seriously suggesting that adults believe that it's OK to try and cross rail lines when the bells are ringing, lights are flashing and the barriers are coming down? Are you saying that despite all of this they believe that as their tour guides have not told them to stop they should cross anyway?

I don't think you have grasped the situation Harry.

Picture this; there's a long wide line of people ging back 100 metres before the track. The crowd is cheek to jowl and nobody can move until everyone moves in unison

The crowd moves forward and the track is filled with 100 people with 1,000 in front and 1,000 behind. Okay?

Now, the bell goes and you are in the middle - you can't go faster because the crowd is moving along slowly.

You WANT to get to the other side quick because there's a train coming. Can you? No! Why Harry, why?!

Is it because you an't be bothered or have bad manners? Or you just can't be bothered?

-8 ( +4 / -12 )

I work near a railway crossing where it's common for the barrier to go up, only to start ringing again as you're crossing the tracks. But luckily where I live, there's only a few people crossing at a time. It's obvious that the infrastructure at this crossing is from a time before tourists. Now the tourists are here, there's too many people and not enough time between trains. They need an underground tunnel or an over-bridge. Build one. You want the tourists? Solve the problem. Stop encouraging tourists and then complaining about the problems if you're not ready to work out the problems that arise when there's an infrastructure/user miss-match.

0 ( +3 / -3 )

This is more another proof of incompetent Japanese officials failing to provide working solutions to the increased tourism."

It's not just Japanese officials that are struggling to address over-tourism. You might want to read up on Venice and Barcelona, among numerous examples.

4 ( +6 / -2 )

Did you say something similar when all those Japanese were crushed walking along a bridge in Akashi? You know, Japanese people walk along pedestrian bridges all the time, so surely they wouldn't have behaved like that. 11 people dead and nearly 200 injured. Please think before you write. No matter how hard you try, you're not Japanese.

Co-opting a tragedy to score paltry points. Nice.

3 ( +3 / -0 )

A pedestrian bridge should be constructed over this railway crossing to make it possible for people to cross over the railway tracks even when the poles are down and trains are approaching.

How many times and for how many minutes is this railway crossing closed because of oncoming trains from both directions?

1 ( +1 / -0 )

The madness of crowds. People become imbeciles.

-2 ( +0 / -2 )

I know that station and its dangerous crossing. That shrine is now Kyoto's top tourist attraction, beating even Kiyomizu.

Simply build an underpass and close the crossing altogether.

3 ( +3 / -0 )

This is very common in other countries. I often see people ducking under poles and running to the other side. I even see foreign tourists jumping across the tracks in Tokyo at stations.

-2 ( +0 / -2 )

Americans, at first glance are generally White, Black, Hispanic, East Asian, Middle Eastern, Southeast Asian, and mixtures of these in varying amounts. Looking at the video nearly everyone is Asian, during the peak Chinese tourist season, and is therefore likely to be predominantly Chinese. A native Japanese crowd wouldn't lock themselves into a train crossing out of familiarity. We aren't talking about one or two people sneaking under the gate annd running across to beat the train, we're talking slowly walking into a deathtrap.

Pukey is an incessant cyberstalking troll. And what exactly does "No matter how hard you try, you're not Japanese." even mean? I'm not Japanese and I don't try to be. I don't see any other posters doing that either. There are quite a number of gaijin here who have a long experience with and knowledge of Japan.

Don't know why the Mod allows this nonsense.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

I blame the superficial nature of humans for this.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Wow that video is crazy. Imagine being stuck in that insane crowd, unable to move while the warning bell rings.

They definitely need to put some police at that place.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

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