After years of strict border controls, Japan is once again a top destination for global travelers. The yen remains weak, flights are full and tourism campaigns—from Hokkaido’s powder snow to Okinawa’s coral reefs—are working exactly as intended. But on the ground, something is off.
Overtourism has become one of the defining issues of the post-pandemic rebound. Crowds in Kyoto. Climbing restrictions at Mount Fuji. “No photo” signs in once-quiet neighborhoods. It’s easy to point fingers at social media influencers or package tours, but the deeper tension is harder to ignore: during the pandemic, local governments and hospitality groups pleaded for more support, more visitors, more visibility. Now, some of those same communities are asking travelers to stay away.
So what changed?
This Japan Today Spotlight episode explores the contradictions behind Japan’s tourism boom—and the growing pains of a country that has, perhaps, gotten exactly what it asked for.
Watch the full video here:
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