Japan’s tourism agency is encouraging tourists to get off the “Golden Route” that links Tokyo with Kyoto and Osaka and to explore more remote parts of the country. More than 20 million tourists arrived in Japan in the first eight months of the year and the annual total is expected to break the 30-million barrier, up from 28.7 million arrivals last year. In Kyoto there has been a surge in complaints linked to the rise in tourist numbers. Foreign tourists are also often unaware of local customs — such as meticulously separating rubbish before it is collected — which has added to the friction. “We do not think of things in terms of confrontation or conflict, but instead we believe in achieving harmony through careful work.”

Source: National Post September 11, 2018 13:18 UTC