Podcasts

BOA Podcast 71: Anti-Foreign Sentiment, Overtourism and Tourist Behavior

March 10, 2026

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Episode Notes

Amy discusses the relationship between anti-foreign sentiment, overtourism, and tourist manners in Japan. Protests in Kyoto, Kamakura, and Tokyo claim that overtourism negatively impacts the daily lives of locals. Right-wing populist groups like the Sanseito party further use overtourism to fuel anti-foreign sentiment. With Japan’s aging population, and only 59% of the Japanese people in the working age range, foreign workers are being brought to Japan to fill jobs, creating a perceived burden to locals, who are already battling overtourism. Amy also shares examples of poor tourist behavior that exacerbates anti-foreign sentiment. She emphasizes the importance of understanding and respecting Japanese culture to improve the tourist experience. Lastly, she offers tips from her book on the Japanese art of being polite.

book cover

A guide to Japanese manners

 

“Walk while eating Kobe beef”: No wonder tourists are confused. Are manners in Japan changing?

 

Lost items should be put in in a prominent place, so when the owner comes back to look for it, he or she can easily find it.

 

Japanese ski areas often have brushes on the ski racks to clean off excess snow from your skis or snowboard before putting them in your car, or getting on the bus. Do as the locals!

Links:

Record 4.5 billion yen in lost cash turned in to Tokyo police in 2025 (The Mainichi News)

In BOA Episode 68, Amy discusses Washington Post Tokyo bureau chief T.R. Reid’s book Ski Japan! (Kodansha, 1993) and the current inbound ski/snowboarding boom. In resorts such as Niseko United, 80 percent of the skiers and snowboarders are now non-Japanese.