is Japan becoming anti-tourist is Kyoto Banning tourism are hotels in Japan becoming more expensive well Japan is changing and in this video I'll show you how you are going to be affected but it's not all doom and Grom I'll also feature some important tourist traps and some time sensitive information that you need to know before it's too late I'm Nathan ninja monkey let's uncover some of the crucial things you need to know before you go I'm going to jump straight to the big story is Kyoto Bannin
g tourists everyone seems to be panicking as a result of many major news outlets headlines of Kyoto to ban tourists from the gisha district and yes this is true but it's not all as it seems so let's bring some context to the news and see exactly what you might expect the next time you travel to Kyoto and how it might directly impact your trip Kyoto is one of Japan's most historic and pictures cities known for its stunning temples traditional tea houses and most importantly its vibrant Geisha cul
ture but just like many tourist spots around the world it has recently been battling tourist overcrowding and many locals are not happy concerned with the sustainability of its cultural landmarks and the quality of life for its residence overcrowded streets and strained local resources has led to the recently announced drastic measures but this is not the first time Kyoto implements rules in the area in 2019 Kyoto took its first steps by B Banning Photography in certain private alleys and areas
within guon and now Kyoto is banning all tourist visitors from entering private Alleyways in the gon District which is one of the most distinctive and photographed areas the city has to offer many trist dream of walking these streets in the hope of catching a glimpse of the Geisha and this is exactly the problem residents and Geisha have been complaining about disruptive tourist Behavior with groups of tourists surrounding gisha taking photos without permission and even damaging the kimono so th
is is what you need to know as from April the city will play Signs in both English and Japanese around gon's private alleys and streets warning twiist to stay away with a penalty of 10,000 Yen for those who break the rules the alleys which house numerous restaurants and tea houses will only be open for the gisha their guests and residents of the district the ban will only cover several blocks of guon and it's important to note that gon's main streets Hanami Ki Street which is that the heart of t
he area will remain open to tourists it's still unclear how the rules will be enforced will signs be put up at every private alley entrance it's certain that this new rule will make the elusive gisha even harder to spot and a cautious reminder that although in the past gisha hunting might have been a fan activity now more than ever it's going to be harder and many tours of guon might even have to adapt although K's tactics might seem harsh there are some positive things being implemented to make
tourism better too Kyoto is planning to launch an express bus service from its main train station to top attractions like kyomi zuda Temple and the guon district to ease local congestion one of the biggest complaints from local residents has been congested transport something that Kyoto had previously tried to Remedy by removing the bus pass and encouraging more train travel so moving forward and set to start in June these buses aim to reduce the strain on regular City transport and improve res
idents lives with adult faes at 500 yen and child faes at 250 Yen the move is another over tourism remedy and part of efforts to balance tourism and local needs it also looks likely that a 1,100 all day pass for tourists to use the express bus Network between the main sites will also be made available this in my opinion is a win for trist visiting Kyoto what are your thoughts warning warning warning i' like to point your attention to some problems tourists are encountering right now so that you'
re aware and don't make the same mistakes this could save you a lot of money or save you a lot of time I think it's clear that tourism in Japan is booming and as a result many so-called tourist traps are starting to pop up the Yen might be weak and TR spending power might be strong but it's always disappointing to see people take advantage of this as it could not only leave a bad taste in his Mouse but make it very difficult for locals to are for trips to some tourist areas an example is food at
some trending tourist locations for example meals that Target foreign visitors with popular dishes like udon traditionally affordable seeing steep price hikes at tourist hotpots and some seafood bowls reaching a staggering $1 18,000 Yen which is around $120 these inflated prices might potentially seem reasonable to tourists due to currency advantages but they are pushing local residents out this can be seen at Tokyo's newly open toyosu Saku benra a complex designed for tourists but it's importa
nt to note that these locations do serve high quality seafood that might justify some of the cost but many of these cuts are usually kept for special occasions by the Japanese and these dishes are specifically being marketed to tourists and I know that this happens all around the world but this is a new trend for Japan so tourists be aware of these high prices and if you're looking for a more affordable option simply move away from these areas there's been so much hype surrounding the opening of
the new team loves borderless but it's important to note that many tourists are being caught out and not being able to purchase the tickets as a result of not booking in advance this is also the case with many other attractions like Shibuya Sky too and if you've been following me for a while then you'll know how much I stressed the need to book activities and tickets in advance which is why I'm so proud to present today's sponsor cluke the perfect place to purchase your Japan attraction tickets
and more and by using the exclusive cluke pass greater Tokyo where you'll be able to choose between two and seven of Tokyo's top attractions you can save up to 48% compared to buying individual tickets and the great news is that yes team Labs is a cluke exclusive activity allowing you to purchase in advance you could even parir it up of other popular attractions like Shibuya sky or Tokyo Tower and so many more booking with the pass is easy book's website and apps are always up to date and easy
to understand so you know exactly what to expect with clear usage instructions and using the app on the go is a game changer which is why I recommend that you download the app and for those Standalone attraction or train tickets you can use my affiliate link found on my website as you are likely going to purchase them anyway whilst at the same time help the channel Out imagine my shock when I was booking my hotels for my summer trip only to notice that everything was more expensive than last sum
mer yes the Yen might be weak but hotel prices have skyrocketed especially in Tokyo Tokyo's average hotel rate has jamed from 6,000 Yen during the pandemic maybe not the best metric for comparison since hotels were heavily discounted to nearly 16,000 Yen today hotels are shifting to Dynamic pricing influenced by supply and demand and from my personal experience I've noticed an increase of around around 20 to 30% compared to last year more than ever booking early will help you avoid the high cost
s that can be linked to Dynamic pricing but bear in mind that hotels typically open up room reservations between 4 and 6 months in advance okay this one is quite time sensitive yokohama's gandam factory realsize replica moving gandam giant robot okay that's a little bit of a mouthful will be closing down at the end of this month March so now might be your last chance to visit and this's a special finale event with tickets available through a lottery on the website so don't miss this last opportu
nity to see the life-size moving gandam in action I highly recommend it we can remain hopeful that the attraction will return in an even better improved way but this is only wishful thinking and some vague rumors that are circulating that are probably coming from others who are wishfully thinking it too because this may be one of the most epic tourist attractions Japan has to offer I will certainly update you if any news comes to light another reason for you to subscribe it's no secret that Japa
n's low yen is making it a very attractive destination for tourists and Osaka which has recently become an attractive destination in its own right thanks to easy access to nearby locations and the popularity of Universal Studios and its Rich calendary scene is becoming increasingly more attractive as a tourist destination so in a similar move to Kyoto Osaka's Governor is Con considering collecting a fixed fee from foreign tourists as from 2025 the new fee will be used to fund over tourism counte
r measures I think you can start seeing a pattern here right currently the preure charges accommodation tax of between 100 to 300 Yen on room fees of more than 7,000 yen per night regardless of nationality although not formalized the idea of a tourism tax inaka is stirring up debate firstly the governor's proposition that this fee could help cover the cost of the upcoming Expo 2025 an event designed to attract tourists and that tourists already need to purchase tickets for could be a hard sell c
ritics question the fairness of this fee as currently foreign Travelers just like domestic tourists already contribute to tax revenue on purchases that are subject to consumption tax for example food and drink and admission to attractions also the proposed plan raises questions about who qualifies as a foreign tourist especially for foreign Nationals living in Japan this move could change the landscape of Osaka's tourism and its attractiveness to International visitors and potentially change the
landscape of Japan could Japan become the Land of the Rising fees is it Justified when you already pay consumption tax and hotel fees what are your thoughts I personally like the idea of helping improve and maintain tourist infrastructure just like in mima's new tax whose fans specifically set aside to improve the tourist product on essential projects such as maintenance of public rest rooms Fair Terminals and preserving the shrine but you know what's even better visiting many of the incredibly
less visited spots Japan has to offer cheaper hotels food and drink and less tourists I have a whole video library for you to explore and even some interesting playlist to help you find less visitor Japan spots so why not check them out so there you have it this could possibly be one of the most impactful Japan updates with very important information for tourists visiting Japan as always I look forward to hearing what you have to say so please comment below and did you know that I live stream e
very Sunday at 9:30 p.m. Central European Time so pop into the chat I look forward to answering your questions live and if you found my content useful please consider subscribing to help the channel grow it really does take many hours to put these videos together and your subscription will be the ultimate appreciation if you want to support the channel further please check out my patreon donate on super thanks or use a PayPal link all links can be found on my website too and for more casual Vlog
s and live streams from the streets of Japan where I'll be very soon there's also my second channel the happy G and if you're a Spanish speaker and you've watched all the way to the end I've recently started a Spanish language Instagram and YouTube account too hon tips and a bonus challenge to anyone who's watched all the way to the very very end leave a comment with a Star Emoji till next time stay positive and be happy happy ging safe travels [Music] [Music] bye
Comments