Japan Must Crack Down on Misbehaving Foreign Visitors

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Troublesome behavior by foreign visitors to Japan is becoming a real problem. Wild dancing on trains. Jumping onto the road and disrupting an ekiden relay race. Mistreating the deer in Nara Park. Desecrating Shinto shrines with graffiti or worse. The list goes on and on.

Japan is gaining worldwide popularity as a tourist destination. The number of inbound tourists is soaring, giving a much-needed boost to the Japanese economy. That is a cause for joy, but, at the same time, we cannot ignore the malicious mischief of a small minority of foreign tourists. If left unchecked, their bad behavior risks damaging public sentiment towards other foreigners and even encouraging xenophobia.

As the old saying goes, "When in Rome, do as the Romans do."

We should encourage visitors from abroad to follow national and local laws and rules and respect Japanese culture and customs.

If foreigners do something that breaks the law, the police should not hesitate to arrest them. Furthermore, local governments, tourism organizations, and businesses should thoroughly warn them to follow the rules. The cooperation of local residents is also essential.

*A scene from a video posted on the Chinese social networking site "Little Red Book" shows a man spraying the stone pillar at Yasukuni Shrine in Tokyo. (Screenshot via Kyodo)*

Badly Behaved Foreign Visitors

Here are a few examples of what we are talking about.

On March 23, Watatsumi Shrine in Tsushima City, Nagasaki Prefecture, issued a message on social media. It reported that a "grave and unforgivable act of disrespect" had been committed by a foreign visitor. As a result, it announced it would bar all visitors except locals and others who had arranged to worship at the shrine.

For several years, the shrine had been subjected to malicious acts by rogue tourists, including those coming from South Korea. Their mischief included illegal parking, littering, defecation on the premises, and stone-throwing. There were even cases in which resident Shinto priests were verbally abused or physically assaulted when they warned visitors against engaging in certain behavior. According to the shrine's social media post, it had repeatedly discussed the problem with city officials and the police. Nonetheless, the trouble continued.

In Tokyo, also, there have been multiple occasions where Chinese visitors to Japan defaced Yasukuni Shrine with graffiti and caused other damage. Since 1869, the religious site has enshrined the souls of Japan's war dead.

At both religious sites, the situations are serious, and we cannot turn a blind eye. The police, national government, and local governments all must crack down more vigorously on such outrageous behavior.

*A group of disruptive foreign YouTubers attempt to board a ferry at Kagoshima New Port. February 23 (Screenshot from the group's livestream footage)*

Crack Down on YouTubers, Too

In addition, foreign YouTubers are causing a conspicuous nuisance. Last October 2024, a video of a group of Americans on a train in Yamanashi Prefecture sparked controversy. Widely circulated online, it showed the Americans rolling around on the carriage floor and dancing wildly on a train in Yamanashi Prefecture.

During the Hakone Ekiden in January 2025, a Chinese influencer drew criticism for unlawfully jumping onto the road and running alongside the runners.

The majority of foreign tourists observe proper etiquette and respect Japanese culture. Therefore, we must work that much harder to eliminate nuisance behavior. It benefits both when local residents feel comfortable with visitors and foreign tourists enjoy their trip to Japan.