Overtourism Affecting Kyoto’s Adult Entertainment Establishments

Currently, in Kyoto City, due to the surge in inbound tourism, there are situations threatening residents’ lives such as “not being able to board buses,” “serious noise and garbage problems,” “tourists entering private roads and peering into private lives,” and “markets crowded with foreigners, making daily shopping difficult.” The nuisance behavior of foreign tourists obsessively chasing after photos of beautifully dressed maiko and geiko in the Gion area, known as the “maiko and geiko paparazzi problem,” has also been a topic of news. Kyoto City, suffering from such overtourism or tourism pollution, faces the question of how local establishments are responding to the increase in inbound tourism. When we covered the situation in mid-July, we heard various voices from the people involved.

“Foreigners also come. (Health establishments) everywhere are accepting inbound tourists. White people, Chinese people. There are almost no troubles. Everyone can speak a little Japanese. Some speak fluently. In some countries, full service is the norm, so we explain (the system) at first and guide them after they understand. Some girls are happy about it. It’s educational for them. But, there are also girls who are not okay with foreigners.”

The person speaking is a man who was soliciting customers for a health establishment in Kiyamachi. According to him, Japanese customers who come in drunk and rowdy around 11 p.m. are more troublesome, while there are not many issues with foreigners. By the way, since foreigners are enjoying the benefits of the weak yen, do they all opt for long courses?