Japan's hot sources: tourist restrictions for photo disputes

Japan's hot sources: tourist restrictions for photo disputes

Ginzan Onsen, a popular Japanese hot source known for their picturesque snow landscapes, has started to limit the access to day trippers during the winter high season. This measure is part of a strategy to combat the problem of overtourism, especially given the record increase of travelers in Japan.

popular travel destination in the Yamagata area

The Onsenstadt is located in the Yamagata region, about 420 kilometers north of Tokyo, and is one of the best known hot sources of Japan. Every year she attracts around 330,000 visitors who not only enjoy the soothing thermal springs, but also the wonderful view of the traditional buildings from the EDO period, which are hidden under a blanket of snow. This backdrop is often an inspiration for the Oscar-prostated animated film "Spirited away" Miyazaki viewed.

problems due to mass crowd

The great popularity of Ginzan Onsen has also led to problems for the resident residents. There are reports of disputes about photogenic places and parking facilities. "Many guests got angry when it came to the best photo spots, which led to traffic violations and unfair means to find better places," said the Onsen administration on its website and regretted that the "unclear management" had caused problems.

restrictions for access

From January 7th, visitors who want to enter the city after 5 p.m. Visitors without booking in local hotels are no longer allowed to occur after 8 p.m. The tickets, which also include the bus trips, cost 1150 yen, about $ 7. People who arrive by car have to park their vehicle at a nearby tourist center and use shuttle buses to get to the city.

traffic situations and security concerns

Hiroyuki Ishii from the project office for overtourism in Ginzan Onsen reported that day trippers who travel by car often get stuck on snow -covered roads, which leads to traffic jams and blockages for emergency vehicles. "The photo areas are tight, and there are occasional clashes when visitors ask each other to make room. There were even cases in which people almost fell into the river after they had come together," he added

reactions to the tourist boom

Ginzan Onsen is part of a large number of popular tourist destinations that already take measures to regulate the number of visitors. Japan recorded 33 million foreign tourists until November this year and thus exceeded the record of 31.9 million from the entire year 2019, as the Japan National Tourism organization reported.

examples from other regions

In May, for example, the small town of Fujikawaguchiko was forced to build a large black network at the foot of Mount Fuji to block the view of a popular photo spot that shows a convenience store in front of the famous mountain. This happened after the number of visitors was a nuisance for the residents. The network was removed in August when interest subsided. In other places such as Mount Fuji and the Himeji Castle-Japan's largest castle in the western hyogo prefecture-considerations are also made to increase admission prices.

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