The risk that hot spring water, Japan’s representative tourist resource, will be depleted due to the increase in tourists

Local governments are striving to come up with measures to preserve hot spring water levels, such as restricting the use of hot springs or collecting taxes.

According to foreign media on the 7th, Uresino City, Saga Prefecture, a representative “hot spring village,” saw its hot spring water level decrease by 20% from 50m four years ago to 39.6m last year. Deputy Mayor Hayase Hiranori cited overtourism as the cause, saying, “The number of tourists has increased and the use of hot spring water has also increased.” Japan’s tourism agency also analyzed, “The number of foreign tourists visiting Japan last year is an all-time high of 36.8 million,” adding, “The surge in tourists is putting pressure on famous hot spring areas across the country.”

Local governments have taken measures to restrict the use of hot spring water in their rooms. Uresino has banned the use of hot spring in its rooms during late night hours. Ginzan Hot Spring in Yamagata Prefecture has introduced measures to restrict the entrance of visitors on the day. The plan is to open the hot spring only to guests.

Increased single-person hot springs were also cited as the reason for the shortage of water. CNN reported that many people prefer single-person hot springs to common hot springs, which is burdensome. “For this reason, more hot springs are being used.” Another problem is aging facilities. Akihiro Otsuka, a researcher at the Chuo Hot Spring Research Institute, said, “The problem is leakage due to aging pipes and pump facilities,” and pointed out, “Appropriate maintenance should be carried out.”

The Japanese government plans to significantly expand tourism tax to solve the problem of excessive tourism. It is considering raising the departure tax by up to five times from the current 1,000 yen. The number of local governments introducing accommodation taxes is also on the rise. In addition to the 14 regions that have already implemented accommodation taxes, 43 more are considering collecting taxes.

JULIE KIM

US ASIA JOURNAL