Japan’s increase in inbound tourism isn’t just bringing economic benefits. It’s also bringing mounting concerns over crowding, cultural friction, and breaches of local etiquette.
In response, Ishikawa Prefecture and Kanazawa City have launched a targeted social media campaign aimed at foreign visitors. The initiative seeks to curb behaviors such as littering, eating while walking, unsolicited photography, and last-minute reservation cancellations. It echoes measures in other regions grappling with overtourism, highlighting how sustainable tourism increasingly depends on visitor behavior as much as promotion.
Kanazawa’s push for good manners
Ishikawa Prefecture is still recovering from the 2024 Noto earthquake. To help fund recovery efforts, the region has been encouraging tourists to visit. (We’ve written about why Kanazawa, in particular, should be on your must-visit list of Japanese cities.)
However, noticing early signs of overtourism, such as tourists crowding public transit with large luggage, disrupting local commutes, and misusing scenic spots, Ishikawa Prefecture and Kanazawa City organized three rounds of opinion-sharing forums.
From these discussions emerged a new strategy: using social media advertisements targeted at foreign-language smartphones near Kanazawa Station and Komatsu Airport.
The ads present common visitor dilemmas, such as difficulty locating trash bins. They provide practical advice in both English and Chinese, including the use of small personal garbage bags.
Officials from the prefecture’s International Tourism Division stated that the goal is to create an environment where both residents and visitors can coexist comfortably. By encouraging respectful behavior before tourists even leave their devices, the campaign aims for a preventive impact rather than a reactive reprimand.
Previously, the city relied on printed pamphlets at tourist centers. The new digital initiative is markedly more dynamic, engaging travelers in real time and in multiple languages. Foreign visits to Kenrokuen Garden, Kanazawa’s most popular attraction, surged to 298,406 by June 2025. This was a 115.8 percent increase from the previous year, underscoring both the city’s appeal and the urgency of this approach.
Japan wrestles with overtourism issues
The challenges faced by Kanazawa and Ishikawa are part of a much larger national trend.
According to data released by the Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO), an estimated 3,377,800 foreign visitors arrived in June 2025. This marks a 7.6 percent increase compared to the same month the previous year, setting a new record for June.
June is typically a quieter travel period before the summer holidays. However, demand for inbound travel remained robust, with monthly arrivals surpassing three million for the ninth consecutive month.
By country and region, China accounted for the largest share with 797,900 visitors, a 19.9 percent year-on-year increase. This was followed by South Korea at 729,800, up 3.8 percent, Taiwan at 585,000, up 1.8 percent, and the United States at 345,100, up 16.4 percent. That represented the highest single-month figure ever recorded from the U.S. market.
In total, 15 markets, including South Korea, Taiwan, Singapore, and Germany, reported record June figures. One notable exception was Hong Kong. It saw arrivals fall by 33.4 percent to 166,800, following the spread of unsubstantiated social media rumors about a major natural disaster predicted to strike Japan in July.
Cumulatively, foreign arrivals in the first half of 2025 reached 21,518,100, surpassing the 20 million mark in record time. This exceeded the same period in 2024 by more than 3.7 million.
These figures highlight not only the strength of Japan’s appeal across diverse markets but also the mounting pressures of overtourism nationwide. The government’s Fourth Tourism Nation Promotion Basic Plan, announced in March 2023, has emphasized three strategic pillars: sustainable tourism, increased visitor spending, and promotion of travel to regional areas.
With inbound demand continuing to accelerate, policymakers and local governments alike are being pressed to strike a balance between economic benefits and the sustainability of communities and cultural sites. For example, many cities and cultural sites in Japan are implementing measures such as a two-tier pricing system and increasing lodging taxes.
Other local governments take similar initiatives
Kanazawa isn’t alone in its efforts to address inappropriate behavior by foreign tourists. In Kyoto, city officials have implemented a comprehensive campaign to educate visitors. They aim to advocate for local customs, preserve cultural integrity, and promote sustainable tourism. Citywide measures include the publication of pamphlets such as “MIND YOUR MANNERS.”
Kyoto launched the initiative in July 2022. It discourages activities such as unauthorized photography of maiko and public smoking while promoting eco-friendly behavior. Additionally, “Kyoto Machiket,” introduced in September 2020, guides visitors on preparation before arrival and the standards of civility expected during their stay.
Kyoto has also produced etiquette-focused videos in multiple languages, distributed through the city’s tourism and MICE promotion office. The municipal government provides “Enjoy Respect KYOTO” stickers and restroom usage advisories to subtly remind visitors of proper conduct.
Neighborhood-level initiatives complement these citywide measures. Collaborative projects in Gion and other districts are installing polite signage, distributing informational bookmarks, and launching local manners campaigns.
In Shizuoka’s Shimizu Port, authorities have addressed a different but equally urgent problem: the illegal “white taxi” operators targeting foreign cruise passengers. Around 30 officials, including police and Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism staff, handed out multilingual leaflets warning that unlicensed taxis are illegal and unsafe. Authorities in Hyōgo Prefecture have done the same around Himeji Castle.
Sustainable tourism continued to be a key priority for Japan
Despite these efforts, challenges from overtourism continue to affect communities across Japan. Various initiatives are being implemented nationwide to reduce these negative impacts.
In fiscal 2018, the Japan Tourism Agency established the Sustainable Tourism Promotion Headquarters. In 2020, it published the Japan Sustainable Tourism Guidelines. Building on these measures, fiscal 2024 saw the launch of the Sustainable Tourism Promotion Project Through the Prevention and Control of Overtourism. The project provides support to regions across the country to implement strategies addressing overtourism.
Want to do your part? Familiarize yourself online with an area’s customs before you go. Or hire a tour guide deeply familiar with Japan to help show you the ropes.
Discover other unique parts of Japan
Japan is on everyone’s travel bucket list. Sadly, many end up going to the same places as everyone else. That can turn what could have been a fun, once-in-a-lifetime experience into an exhausting battle with crowds.
We started Unseen Japan Tours for the same reason we started Unseen Japan: To give people a unique glimpse into Japan they can’t get anywhere else. Let us create a custom itinerary of hard-to-find spots centered on your interests. We can also serve as your guides and interpreters, taking you to places that non-Japanese-speaking tourists usually can’t access.
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