Overtourism concerns Japan still hopes to hit 60 million visitors

Despite concerns about overtourism in Japan, the Japan Tourism Board hopes to reach 60 million visitors.

Japan Tourism Agency chief Ichiro Takahashi said Thursday that the goal of attracting 60 million foreign visitors a year - double the current number - is achievable despite growing concerns about overtourism, AFP reported. "With the right efforts, we can definitely achieve that number."

"There are still many little-known places in Japan that have yet to be explored, and I believe Japan has unlimited tourism resources," he said.

More than 3 million foreign tourists visited Japan in May for the third consecutive month, according to government statistics released Wednesday.

Last year, Japan attracted more than 25 million foreign tourists, thanks in part to the lifting of border restrictions, mostly from South Korea, Singapore and the United States.

However, an influx of tourists to Japan in recent months has renewed concerns about overtourism, with local residents complaining of inappropriate behavior and irregularities.

The government of the city of Himeji in western Japan is considering raising the entrance fee to four times that of local residents. "Wooden structures wear out and become more fragile after many people climb up and down them," mayor Hideyasu Kiyomoto said. She also stressed the need to "curb overtourism".

Another flashpoint for overtourism is Mount Fuji, where a new gate was built Monday on the popular trail to control crowds.

Last month, the Rosen Convenience Store, less than 200 meters from the train station in Fujikawaguchiko, a small town in Yamanashi Prefecture, erected a 2.5-meter-high barrier to prevent visitors from taking photos. It is an internationally renowned time-clock-in spot where visitors can identify themselves with well-known Japanese convenience store brands and Mount Fuji, but many people are accused of blocking the sidewalk in order to take photos and ignoring safety to cross the road, which has angered local residents.