Is tourism polluting the charm and beauty of Japan?

Jason BallByJason Ball

Last time I walked through Shinsaibashi in the centre of Osaka, I seemed to hear more people speaking Chinese than Japanese.

Most Chinese visitors to Japan say they are charmed by the hospitality of their polite hosts and this is good for relations between the two countries.

But some people complain that parts of Japan are overcrowded with visitors. A new term’s being used: kankō kōgai or “tourism pollution.”

Read why tourism is causing some places to build up anger and resentment in this week’s Japan Story blog.

Japan Story’s blog is written by former BBC Tokyo Correspondent Duncan Bartlett. Each week he analyses how Japan’s story is being told to the world through the international media.