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Overtourism in Japan, and how it hurts small businesses

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Re: Overtourism in Japan, and how it hurts small businesses

#201

Post by steveBK123 »

timr wrote: post #181
Jach wrote: post #111

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If you know anything about Japan it's very strange that a place wouldn't take cash. Post-covid (and a lot of that thanks to Olympics preparations) a lot of places in Tokyo have advanced to taking things other than cash.

You're not going far enough: before Covid, finding a place (excluding conbini) that took a credit card was rare . Credit cards are common now, like you say, but nearly any business will still accept cash. I think I've encountered at most 1-2 restaurants in Japan that don't take cash, and none that don't at least accept credit cards.

Yes as recently as 2010s Japanese travel as a westerner was mildly stressful managing your cash balance.

Taxis, conbinis and restaurants all wanted cash.

Lots of ATMs (majority even) don't take western ATM cards, so you need to look out for JP/7-11/Citi? ones.

Delicate balance of keeping enough yen so you don't run out / have to go out of your way ATM hunting but also not head home with $100s in yen you don't need.

Re: Overtourism in Japan, and how it hurts small businesses

#202

Post by BobaFloutist »

androidoka wrote: post #197
jayd16 wrote: post #183

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Seems like if you smile and act friendly and dumb and American you get a lot of slack along with the Japanese shopkeeper version of an eye roll and a headpat.

This is a part of the issue, knowing the rules but nonetheless not following them. And then — culturally unaware — thinking it's ok because nobody says anything.

I mean "don't have a tattoo" isn't really a rule you can follow based on a sign very easily.

Re: Overtourism in Japan, and how it hurts small businesses

#203

Post by BobaFloutist »

diggan wrote: post #194
HelloMcFly wrote: post #96

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You may deny entry based on your own criteria provided you are not discriminating on race, color, religion, national origin, disability status, veteran status, age (more wiggle room here) or other state-specific traits (sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, etc.). I don't think there's any place in America that would be illegal to bar entry based on the presence of tattoos.

So it would be legal to bar non-US residents then? "Residency" seems different from all the criteria's you listed.

Residency inherently includes national origin, since if your national origin is the US you're automatically a resident.

Re: Overtourism in Japan, and how it hurts small businesses

#204

Post by rwmj »

timr wrote: post #186
esperent wrote: post #79

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> it still requires advance planning for a place that used to be a casual, walk-in experience So, much like every restaurant that becomes popular, anywhere in the world?

> So, much like every restaurant that becomes popular, anywhere in the world? No, but thanks for the spot-on imitation of an entitled foreign visitor. The insinuation that somehow it's the local people's fault that they don't want their quaint neighborhood restaurants to become McDonald's is indeed part of the problem. Many restaurants in Japan (my friend's included) are quite obviously one-man, standing-room only op…

I wonder what the end state is here. Will there be a backlash (or more of a backlash, as there's a bit of one already) against the Japanese government's policy? Something worse?

Re: Overtourism in Japan, and how it hurts small businesses

#205

Post by timr »

impendia wrote: post #200
timr wrote: post #177

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yes, I agree that it's a better way to travel if you can do it, but most people can't [1]. That said, even for short-term tourists, Japan used to be kind of a miracle in terms of the quality and service you would get for the money. I know it sounds like hipster whining, but that time is in the past. [1] My snobby hot-take is that if you can't travel this way you shouldn't do recreational international travel at all,…

I used to live in Japan in 1999-2001, and I was just there again for a month this summer. Anyway, I disagree with you: Japan is still a miracle in terms of the quality and service you get for the money. I saw this many times over. Perhaps not in Kyoto, or in the most touristed areas of Tokyo. Or in whatever random place got featured in some anime, or whatnot. The article mentions Yamaguchi, Toyama, Morioka, etc., and…

> Anyway, I disagree with you: Japan is still a miracle in terms of the quality and service you get for the money. I saw this many times over.

I assume you mean "relative to other places" here, and in that sense, I agree. Japan is not yet entirely Epcot Center.

> Perhaps not in Kyoto, or in the most touristed areas of Tokyo. Or in whatever random place got featured in some anime, or whatnot.

Right, exactly. Except that I'm seeing this spread like cancer -- which it always does. Sort of like gentrification, the "authenticity seeking tourist" leaves Senso-ji a few blocks, and then before too long Kappabashi is no longer a functioning street of restaurant supply stores (instead becoming a dead zone of "japanese knife" and matcha retailers), and so on.

> But even in Kyoto, go off the beaten path a little, and you will find much to delight you

Yeah, I lived in Kyoto a decade ago, and I say that to my Japanese friends, too. The thing is, even vs. 2-3 years ago, the number of those authentic places is dramatically fewer. People have been complaining about tourism in Kyoto forever, but they're also not wrong.

Re: Overtourism in Japan, and how it hurts small businesses

#207

Post by ponector »

BobaFloutist wrote: post #202
androidoka wrote: post #197

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This is a part of the issue, knowing the rules but nonetheless not following them. And then — culturally unaware — thinking it's ok because nobody says anything.

I mean "don't have a tattoo" isn't really a rule you can follow based on a sign very easily.

But somehow you can follow rules with signs like "women(men) only". I bet it's easier to follow no tattoo rule.

Re: Overtourism in Japan, and how it hurts small businesses

#208

Post by rwmj »

bryanlarsen wrote: post #23

Tourism in Japan is still pretty low compared to traditional tourism hot spots like Paris or Rome. As is usual, it's the relative change that is significant rather than the absolute numbers. The change from "almost none" to "some" affects a place more than the change from "a lot" to "even more".

I was in Rome a couple of summers ago (not as a tourist) and it was pretty crazy how many tourists there were. You could hardly walk along the streets in the centre. I wouldn't want to live there as a local, or ever be anywhere which is "not quite as bad as Rome".

Re: Overtourism in Japan, and how it hurts small businesses

#209

Post by Danieru »

parpfish wrote: post #142
harimau777 wrote: post #123

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This is something that I feel doesn't get discussed in a lot of these sorts of discussions (overtourism, local food, etc.). Reducing your carbon/social footprint by consuming locally is MUCH more enjoyable in some locations than in others.

if you find your local region unenjoyable, change your local region

Your plan to address the decline in British beach towns is to depopulate the UK?

Seems a bit extreme just to avoid a plane ride.

Re: Overtourism in Japan, and how it hurts small businesses

#210

Post by biztos »

timr wrote: post #186
esperent wrote: post #79

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> it still requires advance planning for a place that used to be a casual, walk-in experience So, much like every restaurant that becomes popular, anywhere in the world?

> So, much like every restaurant that becomes popular, anywhere in the world? No, but thanks for the spot-on imitation of an entitled foreign visitor. The insinuation that somehow it's the local people's fault that they don't want their quaint neighborhood restaurants to become McDonald's is indeed part of the problem. Many restaurants in Japan (my friend's included) are quite obviously one-man, standing-room only op…

Indeed, I’ve seen a lot of “visit Japan” ads lately.

But the thing I worry about, having never been there, is that I might get some good recommendations for out-of-the-way spots where there would be few if any other tourists, and take the time to go find them, only to be denied entry because I’m a foreigner.

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