A charming town in Japan, believed to have sparked the setting for a famous film, is taking a stand against excessive tourism. Ginzan Onsen, nestled within Yamagata region, witnesses around 330,000 sightseers annually.
Renowned as “silver mine hot spring”, this locale entraps global visitors with its idyllic landscape and antiquated edifices. The locale that reportedly ignited the fantasy realm in Hayao Miyazaki’s acclaimed Spirited Away, complete with centuries-old bathhouses and period architecture, has been recently deluged, leading to brawls at famed photography spots and hostility towards residents.
The surge of tourists has even impelled emergency personnel to tackle incidents on foot due to vehicular obstructions. Confronted with these issues, those who manage Ginzan Onsen have resolved to enforce new measures.
As of January 7 through March end, the influx of day trippers will be controlled during high-demand intervals. While unrestricted access persists from 9am till 4pm, after-hours guests lacking pre-bookings must depart by 5pm.
From 5pm to 8pm, a mere 100 ticket-holding day revellers are given entrance. Come February, parking norms kick in, relegating day tourists to a remote lot 2 kilometres distal, obliging them to shuttle over at a price of 1,150 yen or £5.87, reports the Express.
Takayuki Saito, head of commerce and tourism for Obanazawa told AFP that “traffic jams have sometimes been caused by cars getting stuck in the snow, because travellers were driving with normal tyres” rather than opting for snow-specific variants.
Meanwhile, the town’s official website expresses concerns: “Many guests became angry over good spots for the purpose of taking pictures, leading to traffic rules being broken, cheating, and making people seek better places and easier ways than others.”
This follows a bumper year for Japan’s tourists influx, with a reported 33.38 million visitors from January through November in 2024, beating 2019’s once record-setting figure of 31.88 million.