Episode 40. A Message to Tourists in Japan

Overtourism is becoming a serious problem in Japan. Many Japanese are bothered by the sudden influx of tourists, especially when you take into account that there were almost none during the pandemic. Restaurants and public transportation companies are not equipped to handle this problem, and being a country made up of mostly introverts, this change is unsettling. Imagine yourself as an introvert, coming home from a long day at work, to find a surprise party at your house, 30 strangers coming to talk to you, congratulating you, then asking you to make a toast or something. Only, it happens almost daily during high season in Japan. Many locals find their routines significantly disrupted, and if you live here, you would understand the degree of discomfort that Japanese tend to feel when their routines are broken by something beyond their control. Well, hey, I guess most of us can relate to that, but with Japanese, they feel it deep in their core.