politics

G20 ministers to address issues involving 'overtourism'

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I'm stumped why JR keeps advertising for Kyoto on TV commercials all the time. I thought Kyoto already had all of the tourists that they could handle? How about advertising for less-known spots that are still on the JR network?

10 ( +11 / -1 )

The amount of rubbish on Fuji was long there before foreign tourist arrived.  No garbage bins in Japan  ... Removing public trash cans was an excuse for preventing attacks from locals who didn't recycle, it was labeled a dangerous place that could easily be used to ditch broken glass.

How much does a G20 summit cost to chit chat about over tourism , I bet the Saudi's were complaining about the missiles laying around their desert and the amount of posh cars dumped at the airport

8 ( +11 / -3 )

Over tourism is only a problem if you allow it to be. Each country has control over its own land and can manage it in its own way.

8 ( +10 / -2 )

Tourism is good for some country's but for others it can be a disadvantage and strain on available resources or provide the resources required to maintain a tourist destination.

2 ( +3 / -1 )

I suggest KUTCHAN to visit Tirol and ask for advice.

1 ( +2 / -1 )

another nice little junket for the elite.....

5 ( +6 / -1 )

Bring back the blasted trash bins in parks, along the streets, outside of conbini and train stations. There is no excuse for the governments of cities and Japan not to provide proper rubbish bins and pick up.

5 ( +7 / -2 )

Over tourism is a problem, but not that can't be sorted out at much lower levels, even at locational levels, G20?

Are these guys aware of the problems facing the world ? Like riots in Chile, Ecuador , France, Spain ( Catalonia) Hong Kong, Iraq and those soon coming near you ? It's naive and stupid for them to think like there is no common theme on all these happenings. The hewers of wood and drawers of water are totally fed up with carrying these G20 types people on their bent backs. People want jobs, reasonable wages,equal wealth distribution, freedoms and practical democracy to lead dignified lives. They bailed out the Wall streets..( and Coporations too = socialism for the rich) , now the Mainstreet wants theirs too. Over tourism doesn't register- at all- in most peoples' scales of what constitutes a crisis.

3 ( +5 / -2 )

How much does a G20 summit cost to chit chat about over tourism , I bet the Saudi's were complaining about the missiles laying around their desert and the amount of posh cars dumped at the airport

The Saudi don't even have tourists. They will start allowing a few from now only... and I'm not going.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

A lot of hidden faces in that photo.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

I reckon the biggest problem is cruise ships. The big ones are like a mini town, 4-5,000 passengers, running of fuel oil which is way more polluting than regular grid power. They are also like tax-free developments that cash in on your biggest local attractions, but employ no local people and contribute little to the local economy. The instacrowds cruises bring will clog up your attractions and transport and put off regular tourists who do stay and do support your economy.

Non-domestic overtourism is certainly not widespread in Japan, but it sounds pretty bad in the few places where it actually happens. Some may be partially guilty for hyping themselves up. Most things in Ginza can be bought elsewhere, there are fine temples and shrines outside Kyoto, there are whole hillsides of autumn colours, not just at that temple with the half dozen maples.

-1 ( +1 / -2 )

re: Patricia YarrowToday 07:34 pm JST

Bring back the blasted trash bins in parks, along the streets, outside of conbini and train stations. There is no excuse for the governments of cities and Japan not to provide proper rubbish bins and pick up.

Really its not a bad idea, but who is going to pay for separation of the trash, that many times is mixed? it used to be all done by Volunteers but many of them were retired and elderly which have dwindled away? hmm. What about the costs associated for extra pickups, where is that funding coming from to pay for additional employees on an already labor shortage country, maintenance costs, fuel, scheduling etc? Now with the increase in tax, who can afford it?

-5 ( +0 / -5 )

No over tourism problem in South Philadelphia.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

As any visitor, we SHOULD RESPECT places we visit. Consider it like visiting a respectful home. Would you like people to trash your house? Would you like your parents and grandparents to clean after you behind your paths as grownups? Respect the place wherever it is the way they do things. You carry the banner of your origin.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

@rgcivilian1

Really its not a bad idea, but who is going to pay for separation of the trash, that many times is mixed? it used to be all done by Volunteers but many of them were retired and elderly which have dwindled away? hmm. What about the costs associated for extra pickups, where is that funding coming from to pay for additional employees on an already labor shortage country, maintenance costs, fuel, scheduling etc? Now with the increase in tax, who can afford it?

It's called "Residence Tax," unlike most countries, cities municipalities where you actually need to own property before being taxed, in Japan all you need to do is live there...

0 ( +0 / -0 )

@ Mike 1492

No over tourism problem in South Philadelphia.

Just curious. Why is that ? Is there no love South of the City of Brotherly Love ?

1 ( +1 / -0 )

No over tourism problem in South Philadelphia.

Just curious. Why is that ? Is there no love South of the City of Brotherly Love ?

A couple of guys, they were up to no good! Starting making trouble in the neighborhood

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Are tourist terrorizing the local

0 ( +0 / -0 )

If this had solely been Japanese officials addressing overtourism, the usual crowd here would have chimed in already with the typical negativity. But unfortunately for them, overtourism is a very legitimate concern and the fact that the G20 is addressing it as a whole mutes some of their responses.

-2 ( +0 / -2 )

This is a Japanese problem not a G20 problem

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Bring back the blasted trash bins in parks, along the streets, outside of conbini and train stations. There is no excuse for the governments of cities and Japan not to provide proper rubbish bins and pick up.

Know why they were taken away? Because the supposedly "high morals" of the Japanese failed as far too many people brought their garbage from home to these locations and dumped it there.

Recycling in Japan costs money, you have to pay to have certain items removed and it is not cheap. So people took their belongs along with associated household trash and dumped it all in the parks, on deserted roads, beaches, conbini, and other places as well.

Once they took away these trash bins, people were forced to take their trash home.

Sorry to all the "Japan" lovers out here, but this is a fact! The Japanese for all their good points, dont have very high morals, particularly when it comes to issues like this. There are many that dont take the time to separate their own trash and put it out, they would rather put that burden on someone else and would think nothing of it either!

1 ( +1 / -0 )

I find it hypocritical that Japan is hosting this summit! Abe keeps pushing for more and more tourism, and expects the people here to suck it up.

Far too many tourists are a royal pain in the arse! We get over 10,000,000 freaking tourists a year down here in Okinawa (Population 1.4 Million) and while most are pretty cool, the 20% or so (to me) who are arseholes give them ALL a bad name.

I suggest Abe and all these "ministers" come live with this for a few years and then have a talk about "over-tourism"!

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Well within government (any) power to limit tourists - hardly a problem to solve at all...

0 ( +0 / -0 )

In Japan, the worst examples of crushing congestion come from local festivals or seasonal public events. The "crowds" of foreign tourists are tiny compared to 10s or even 100s of thousands of local people who take to the (often narrow) streets for an event at O-bon, summer fireworks, Shogatsu, etc. One can literally not move.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

In the US, for instance, many ostensible tourists add to the number of our undocumented immigrants.

Using tourism as a pretext to immigrate is the other untold story of this so-called over-tourism story.

The countries that send the most undocumented "tourists" turned illegals to the US are:

South Korea

China

India

0 ( +0 / -0 )

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