The picturesque tourist spot in Japan that has recently implemented limits on day trippers is Ginzan Onsen. The new restrictions, limit the number of day trippers entering the town during peak hours (5 pm to 8 pm). Visitors must now book tickets in advance to enter during these times.
Ginzan Onsen is a dreamy hot spring town in Japan’s northern Yamagata region. It is known for its picture-perfect snowy streets and charming, old-fashioned buildings lit by glowing lamplights. But starting this week, the town is setting limits on day-trippers to deal with the winter tourism chaos.
With around 330,000 visitors annually, many flock to Ginzan Onsen for its Instagram-worthy views. However, the surge in tourists has caused road congestion, arguments, and even blocked emergency vehicles. Local authorities had enough. Starting Monday, only overnight guests can stay after 8 PM, while visitors arriving between 5 PM and 8 PM now need reservations.
Japan is seeing a record tourism boom this year, with over 33 million foreign visitors flooding in, thanks to the weak yen and post-pandemic travel excitement. But with more tourists come bigger problems. “We’ve had traffic jams caused by cars without proper snow tires getting stuck,” said Takayuki Saito, the head of commerce and tourism in Obanazawa, where Ginzan Onsen is located.
Winter travel here is no joke—snowstorms can make driving treacherous. In one scary incident, heavy traffic blocked an ambulance, forcing the emergency team to run to the scene. The trial restrictions, which run until February, aim to ease these problems. Day-trippers must now park at a center 2 kilometers away and take a paid shuttle bus into town.
Ginzan Onsen officials hope this trial will strike a balance between welcoming tourists and protecting the town’s charm. “Some visitors are even verbally abusive when their cars get stuck in the snow,” the town’s website noted, calling such behavior “unbearable.”
Ginzan Onsen isn’t alone in battling overtourism. In Kyoto, locals have banned visitors from private alleys to stop harassment of geisha. Meanwhile, Mount Fuji now limits daily hikers on its popular trail.
As dreamy as Japan’s famous spots are, it seems some rules are needed to keep them magical—and safe!
