February 12, 2025
Gov’t pictograms target tourists behaving badly

A series of pictograms created by the Japan Tourism Agency paints a picture of dos and don’ts to promote better manners among tourists after Japan’s popularity with foreign visitors grew at record pace in 2024. 

Of the 22 pictograms released by the agency in November, 14 address inappropriate manners and display prohibited behaviors. These include eating while walking, graffiti, and cutting in line. Four of the pictograms target manners related to taking photographs, including the use of selfie sticks 

Japan Tourism Agency pictograms addressing cutting in line (left) and feeding animals outside of feeding areas (right). 

The remaining pictograms promote sustainable travel practices. Tourists are encouraged to do their sightseeing early in the morning or later in the day to avoid crowds. To help ease congestion on public transportation the agency recommends traveling light and making use of luggage storage services or lockers, among other practices encouraged through the pictograms.  

The agency also released a poster highlighting what it calls “travel etiquette for the future” – seven examples of manners and etiquette which the agency said it wants travelers to be aware of. One of the examples draws attention to the value and meaning of cultural assets, warning that graffiti and damage to such properties may be subject to penalties, including fines. 

In another example, the agency suggests visitors travel slowly, taking time to experience the characteristics of each region and appreciate Japan’s diversity. 

The agency said that it created the pictograms and guide based on actual cases of behavior among tourists and after consulting with residents, local governments, and businesses, among others. It plans to promote the content through social networking services, travel websites, and at tourist attractions as part of efforts to create sustainable tourist regions where local communities and tourists can realize the benefits of tourism.  

Since the lifting of travel restrictions after the COVID-19 pandemic, Japan has been struggling to keep on top of issues associated with so-called “overtourism,” including overcrowding at popular attractions and incidents of inappropriate behavior, particularly from foreign tourists unfamiliar with Japanese customs and culture.  

In one of the more high-profile incidents of tourists behaving badly in Japan, an American man was arrested in November for allegedly defacing Meiji Jingu shrine in Tokyo. The man, who was in Japan for a holiday with his family, was alleged to have used his fingernails to scratch letters in the shrine’s torii gate, which he claimed represented the names of his family members. 

In a survey looking into the impact of overtourism, conducted between August and October by Jalan Research Center, nearly 60 percent of respondents said that they were conscious of crowded conditions in the areas where they live due to an increase in the number of tourists.  

The bad manners of some tourists, including behaviors such as littering, drinking on the street, and cutting in line, was cited by around 52 percent of respondents – people working in or connected to tourism in Japan – as among the problems they had encountered because of the increase. 

Travelers to Japan are also conscious of the crowds. Over 30 percent of foreign tourists experienced overcrowding at attractions and facilities in Japan during their visits in 2024, according to a survey jointly conducted by the Development Bank of Japan and the Japan Travel Bureau Foundation in July.  

Acts that degrade tourism resources, including littering, graffiti, and trespassing were witnessed by 13 percent of the respondents who had visited Japan. 

Japan is by far the most popular choice of destination among travelers however, according to the survey. Of the 7,796 respondents from across Asia, Britain, France, the United States and Australia, including those with no experience of travel to Japan, 55 percent selected Japan among the countries they would like to visit for their next trip. New Zealand, South Korea, and Australia followed, with each country selected by 27 percent of the respondents.  

Gov’t pictograms target tourists behaving badly

Photo shows a street in Kyoto in October 2024. (Kyodo News Plus)

Japan’s popularity as a tourist destination shows no sign of waning, despite the apparent awareness and experience of issues related to overtourism. A record 36.87 million foreign tourists visited Japan in 2024, according to the Japan National Tourism Organization 

Several destinations in Japan have been selected by travel media as places to visit around the globe in 2025.  

Osaka features in destination lists by influential U.S. magazines Conde Nast Traveler and Travel + Leisure. The 2025 World Expo host city appears in Conde Nast Traveler’s list, The Best Places to Go in Asia, and in Travel + Leisure’s global list, The 50 Best Places to Travel in 2025. 

Kanazawa in Ishikawa Prefecture, central Japan, recommended by National Geographic as a travel destination in 2025. Photo taken in March 2023. (Kyodo News Plus)

In October, National Geographic revealed its annual Best of the World list, with Kanazawa featuring among the 25 best places in the world to travel to in 2025. National Geographic described the city in Ishikawa Prefecture, central Japan, as a destination to “experience classic Japan without the crowds.”  

The cities of Toyama and Osaka are among the destinations featured in the list, 52 Places to Go in 2025, published by The New York Times in January.  

On a cautionary note, both Tokyo and Kyoto are featured in the Fodor’s No List 2025 by travel guidebook publisher Fodor’s Travel. The annual list highlights destinations described by Fodor’s as “suffering from untenable popularity,” which it thinks travelers should reconsider visiting. On the other hand, Fodor’s selected the tourist city of Nikko, in eastern Japan, as one of the top places to visit in Asia for its Go List 2025. 

This article was submitted by a contributing writer for publication on Kyodo News Plus. 


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