Japan, its culture and people deserve respect. Social media is training people to be assholes, by letting them get away with unacceptable behaviors online. People have become way more obnoxious. As it is the lack of awareness is low in them. And then they audaciously bring their ill-mannered selves to Japan!
Japan is probably one of the few countries where you can experience peace. Anything that costs you your peace is too expensive. I have no sympathy for anyone who doesn't know how to conduct themselves better in Japanese society. To those tourists I say, keep your sick ass at home. Thank you!
I have been fortunate to travel to Japan four times in the past five years. I look forward to exploring more of its towns and cities. When we (my boyfriend and I) are traveling in Japan, we experience peace, kindness and love. Japan is a very special place.
The issues are complex. Yet my surface take for Japan is “this is what you get.” Thirty plus years of utter economic and political inaction—ie, ball-less-ness—leaves you with no other option to turn to than Inbound Tourism. Basically, come here please and give us your money.
Watch a month of evening Japanese newscasts and count on one hand the number of new ideas about growth that are not linked to please come here and give us your money. What did Japan think was going to happen after so much inaction on growth and reform? On industry and research investment? On global competitiveness?
The country is a sitting duck, all for countries loaded with dipshits.
Yep, Japan needs that sweet sweet tourist money. To people who say they don't, are unaware of how bad the overall economy is. Unfortunately with tourism comes all the bad issues, but you can't just shut them all out or try to get them to conform.
Re. the prices for tourists & prices for locals: I'm with the 60%. I live in a country which has a fairly poor exchange rate with the major currencies so anyone buying with a USD is essentially getting things for free. As you mention while it is good for the economy it is bad for locals - use the passport test IMHO - if you've got a foreign passport you pay the Shogun price.
Re. idiot influencers: I remember when an idiot influencer went to Aokigahara Forest in Japan. A complete stuff up. Yes there were repercussions but I can't forget about it and I'm not even japanese. It's an insult having someone like this in your country. My solution: as soon as anyone who transgressed like this attempts to gain a visa ( or entry at an airport ) deny it or send them back to where they came from.
One positive about the dollar being so strong in Japan is if I earn something for my freelance writing from an American I make bank lol. But that also means I have to do that in order to supplement my local income.
Logan Paul I think it was? Yeah those acts aren't just offensive but because of their platforms and reach they actually do damage (ex: if someone's family member took their own life in Aokigahara they then find out that Paul was making fun of the exact place where it happened).
The funny thing is that the two-tier price system has been used for ages in so-called Third World countries. I'd never thought that one day Japan would be compared to those places.
This will for sure piss off many Japanese (and foreigners) who want to put japan on a pedestal above other countries. But the more that the yen goes down, the more it will be compared to places like Thailand (even though they are completely different).
I also find it ethically wrong to have higher prices for foreign travelers. I can understand poorer countries where even doubling or tripling the original price does not make much difference to a Western tourist, but in Japan, it somehow feels wrong.
All valid points ! 2 tiers. I see it as a non -global -world civilised country . SEA, China. There are many places to avoid it , or eat at the local restaurants where tourists are a few . Japan is SO huge, Kyoto to me can not compete with Aomori or Mie prefectures.
There's an interesting subset of this in the akiya market. I already charge up front for research, due diligence, and visitation services, which does a good job of weeding out the not-so-serious folx. However, there are a decent number of domestic agents starting to catch on to the trend with some very high expectations and nothing but standard practice to protect them who get burnt often enough by last minute cancellations or no-shows, which then backfires on them.
On Maui where we lived for many years, tourists were told to take the road to Hana, an all day excursion from Lahaina on the island's west end. The 2-lane road, once out of former cane now surfer town Paia, wound through now deserted cane and pineapple fields, over stunning bluffs w/ ocean views, through forests of rainbow eucalyptus, monkeypod and palms. It was slow-going, but never fully stopped. Until recently. Cars now park IN the road for photos, stopping traffic, causing huge traffic jams—for miles. People who live in Hana and work in central Maui can't get to their jobs in a timely manner. They've tried to abate the tourist problem, but it's over the top. So yes, Maui (esp since the Lahaina fire) can't live w/out tourists, but sometimes the bark is worse than the bite.
I lived on Maui for 5 years! It was very similar to my hometown of Tahoe, and now Kyoto, where you need the tourists (because internal jobs are lacking) but with that comes problems. Especially Hana road being small and remote, you're gonna have problems!
I can understand the two-tier price system for visitors and locals. It must be a really hard call for businesses where to draw the line to avoid the appearance of gouging the foreign visitors.
I just looked up the price of a bowl of ramen in LA. It's about 2000 yen.
Yikes, so in LA people might think the same in Japan is no biggie. I regularly get 500-800 yen ramen max. I think the two-tier system can work but definitely not by judging people by their looks, even if its a reasonable judgment in most cases.
Japan, its culture and people deserve respect. Social media is training people to be assholes, by letting them get away with unacceptable behaviors online. People have become way more obnoxious. As it is the lack of awareness is low in them. And then they audaciously bring their ill-mannered selves to Japan!
Japan is probably one of the few countries where you can experience peace. Anything that costs you your peace is too expensive. I have no sympathy for anyone who doesn't know how to conduct themselves better in Japanese society. To those tourists I say, keep your sick ass at home. Thank you!
I have been fortunate to travel to Japan four times in the past five years. I look forward to exploring more of its towns and cities. When we (my boyfriend and I) are traveling in Japan, we experience peace, kindness and love. Japan is a very special place.
Glad you found that special vibe in Japan. The good thing is, is that if the peace is real, a few bad apples won't spoil it.
You can thank the basement-low yen for that. Japan is CHEAP right now, which means scads of visitors.
Yep, can't blame people for jumping on the chance.
The issues are complex. Yet my surface take for Japan is “this is what you get.” Thirty plus years of utter economic and political inaction—ie, ball-less-ness—leaves you with no other option to turn to than Inbound Tourism. Basically, come here please and give us your money.
Watch a month of evening Japanese newscasts and count on one hand the number of new ideas about growth that are not linked to please come here and give us your money. What did Japan think was going to happen after so much inaction on growth and reform? On industry and research investment? On global competitiveness?
The country is a sitting duck, all for countries loaded with dipshits.
Yep, Japan needs that sweet sweet tourist money. To people who say they don't, are unaware of how bad the overall economy is. Unfortunately with tourism comes all the bad issues, but you can't just shut them all out or try to get them to conform.
Totally agree with you ! You are a terrific writer . It’s in your blood !
Thank you!
Re. the prices for tourists & prices for locals: I'm with the 60%. I live in a country which has a fairly poor exchange rate with the major currencies so anyone buying with a USD is essentially getting things for free. As you mention while it is good for the economy it is bad for locals - use the passport test IMHO - if you've got a foreign passport you pay the Shogun price.
Re. idiot influencers: I remember when an idiot influencer went to Aokigahara Forest in Japan. A complete stuff up. Yes there were repercussions but I can't forget about it and I'm not even japanese. It's an insult having someone like this in your country. My solution: as soon as anyone who transgressed like this attempts to gain a visa ( or entry at an airport ) deny it or send them back to where they came from.
One positive about the dollar being so strong in Japan is if I earn something for my freelance writing from an American I make bank lol. But that also means I have to do that in order to supplement my local income.
Logan Paul I think it was? Yeah those acts aren't just offensive but because of their platforms and reach they actually do damage (ex: if someone's family member took their own life in Aokigahara they then find out that Paul was making fun of the exact place where it happened).
So glad I didn’t visit Kyoto, Mt Fuji, Osaka and everywhere else I missed
It can still be good to visit, you'll just be in a mad rush of people. There are down times though.
Sure, just I don’t need to
The funny thing is that the two-tier price system has been used for ages in so-called Third World countries. I'd never thought that one day Japan would be compared to those places.
This will for sure piss off many Japanese (and foreigners) who want to put japan on a pedestal above other countries. But the more that the yen goes down, the more it will be compared to places like Thailand (even though they are completely different).
I also find it ethically wrong to have higher prices for foreign travelers. I can understand poorer countries where even doubling or tripling the original price does not make much difference to a Western tourist, but in Japan, it somehow feels wrong.
All valid points ! 2 tiers. I see it as a non -global -world civilised country . SEA, China. There are many places to avoid it , or eat at the local restaurants where tourists are a few . Japan is SO huge, Kyoto to me can not compete with Aomori or Mie prefectures.
Agreed. Aomori is THE best place to experience Japan without worrying about all this stuff. Mie is pretty cool too.
There's an interesting subset of this in the akiya market. I already charge up front for research, due diligence, and visitation services, which does a good job of weeding out the not-so-serious folx. However, there are a decent number of domestic agents starting to catch on to the trend with some very high expectations and nothing but standard practice to protect them who get burnt often enough by last minute cancellations or no-shows, which then backfires on them.
Interesting. How long you been doing the akiya thing?
A little over 6 years.
A great read and you bring up some valid points! We could all learn a thing or two about being more respectful travelers.
Thank you! Yeah, its easy to point out the bad behavior of others, but another to remind ourselves to do good when we go somewhere.
On Maui where we lived for many years, tourists were told to take the road to Hana, an all day excursion from Lahaina on the island's west end. The 2-lane road, once out of former cane now surfer town Paia, wound through now deserted cane and pineapple fields, over stunning bluffs w/ ocean views, through forests of rainbow eucalyptus, monkeypod and palms. It was slow-going, but never fully stopped. Until recently. Cars now park IN the road for photos, stopping traffic, causing huge traffic jams—for miles. People who live in Hana and work in central Maui can't get to their jobs in a timely manner. They've tried to abate the tourist problem, but it's over the top. So yes, Maui (esp since the Lahaina fire) can't live w/out tourists, but sometimes the bark is worse than the bite.
I lived on Maui for 5 years! It was very similar to my hometown of Tahoe, and now Kyoto, where you need the tourists (because internal jobs are lacking) but with that comes problems. Especially Hana road being small and remote, you're gonna have problems!
No ka oi! Where on Maui? We were in Haiku.
I can understand the two-tier price system for visitors and locals. It must be a really hard call for businesses where to draw the line to avoid the appearance of gouging the foreign visitors.
I just looked up the price of a bowl of ramen in LA. It's about 2000 yen.
Yikes, so in LA people might think the same in Japan is no biggie. I regularly get 500-800 yen ramen max. I think the two-tier system can work but definitely not by judging people by their looks, even if its a reasonable judgment in most cases.
True, bad behavior is like light in the dark.