Overtourism: victim of its success, a spa town in Japan limits the entry of visitors

After Venice, the island of Bréhat and Marseille, another city is introducing restrictions to fight against mass tourism. In Japan, Ginzan Onsen, a spa town located 420 km north of Tokyo, has decided to limit the number of daily visitors in winter, due to the inconvenience caused by the influx of tourists.

Every year, around 330,000 travelers from around the world descend on this small, 300-year-old town, known for its onsens (hot baths) and picturesque snow-covered landscapes. The place, which has retained the charm of traditional buildings from the Edo period, is said to have inspired director Hayao Miyazaki for his film “Spirited Away”.

A paid ticket

But Ginzan Onsen, usually quiet, is a victim of its own success: locals complain about the mess caused by tourists in parking spaces and the most photogenic spots. The quest for “Instagrammable” photos creates tensions between tourists and disrupts road traffic.

“Many visitors become upset in order to take photos, which has led to violations of traffic rules and causing people to look for better places,” sometimes in defiance of the rules, the city said on its website. “People almost fell into the river after bumping into each other,” added a municipal employee to CNN.

Starting January 7, those wishing to enter the town after 5 p.m. will need to purchase a ticket, according to the Ginzan Onsen Information Center. Visitors who do not have a reservation at a town hotel will be prohibited after 8 p.m. Tickets, including bus rides, cost 1,150 yen, or around 7 euros.

Japan has experienced a record tourism boom in recent months. The country has already recorded 33 million foreign tourists this year through November, breaking the record of 31.9 million set for all of 2019, according to the Japan National Tourism Organization.