A current authorities survey discovered that international guests to Japan ranked the shortage of public bins, particularly in locations like practice stations, as essentially the most irritating factor about their journeys to the nation.
The Japan Tourism Company reported that 21.9 per cent of over 4,000 vacationers surveyed at 5 main airports listed this as their high criticism.
The survey was performed between December and January at 5 main airports – New Chitose, Narita and Haneda close to Tokyo, Kansai, and Fukuoka – as travellers ready to depart Japan.
Though the variety of such complaints was about eight share factors decrease than within the earlier 12 months, many guests stated they usually had no alternative however to hold their garbage again to their lodging.
Public litter bins had been as soon as frequent within the nation, however many had been reportedly eliminated in recent times because of security issues sparked by terror assaults just like the 1995 Tokyo subway sarin fuel assault and the 2004 Madrid practice bombings.
Littering is strictly prohibited in Japan and can lead to fines and even harsher punishments relying on the offence. Japanese individuals routinely carry bin baggage and take their garbage residence with them if they’re planning to eat open air, resembling at a picnic or sporting occasion.
Japan welcomed a document 36 million vacationers in 2024, in keeping with figures launched in January. The Japan Nationwide Tourism Organisation estimated that greater than 36.8 million individuals visited the nation for enterprise or leisure in 2024, surpassing a earlier excessive of 31.88 million in 2019.
In line with the survey, reported by Kyodo Information, different frequent complaints included communication boundaries – reported by 15.2 per cent of tourists – primarily because of workers at eating places and different venues not talking English and overcrowding at vacationer websites, famous by 13.1 per cent.
The current surge in vacationers to Japan has been attributed partially to a weaker yen, which has made the nation extra reasonably priced for worldwide guests.
The hovering numbers, nonetheless, have sparked issues about “overtourism” at in style locations, posing challenges in managing customer movement and preserving native environments.
In January, it was reported that the favored journey vacation spot of Kyoto was considerably elevating lodging tax – a set charge paid to the federal government by non-residents which is collected by inns and guesthouses – in an try to make tourism extra sustainable.
In November final 12 months, a number of Japanese cities had been stated to be growing the “bathing tax” for in a single day guests to sizzling spring resorts.
Japan has additionally hiked the entry charges and restricted the variety of guests to sort out overcrowding on the iconic Mount Fuji.
The Japanese authorities has been urging international guests to journey throughout off-peak occasions, discover lesser-known locations, and cling to native customs.
