Kyoto’s new mayor vows to curb overtourism, but will his efforts hurt Japan city’s ‘lifeblood’?

Koji Matsui wants to charge visitors higher transport fares as locals grapple with crowds, traffic jams and noise at peak seasons

But experts say his plans may hurt the city’s post-pandemic recovery and suggest promoting Kyoto as a ‘365-days-of-the-year’ destination instead

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Tourists observe autumn foliage at the Oi River in Arashiyama, Kyoto. Photo: Getty Images

Published: 8:02am, 8 Feb 2024Updated: 10:06am, 8 Feb 2024

Discontent among residents of Kyoto over the rising number of visitors propelled Koji Matsui to victory in the city’s mayoral election on Sunday, but travel industry experts warn some of his campaign pledges to rein them in could be difficult to implement and damage Japan’s tourism sector.

They said that while there needed to be a discussion about the problem of overtourism in Kyoto, which is considered one of Japan’s “must-see” travel destinations, some of Matsui’s promises – such as raising fares for buses and trains for visitors, and restricting non-residents’ cars from entering the city – could cause even greater problems.

The solution, they suggest, is a more radical rethink of the ancient capital’s approach to tourism that satisfies both residents and visitors.

A street in Kyoto is crowded with tourists on October 11, 2022. Photo: Kyodo

Matsui, a former member of the opposition Democratic Party of Japan who served as deputy chief cabinet secretary between 2009 and 2010, ran as an independent with the support of four major political parties. He edged out his main rival, Kazuhito Fukuyama, who was backed by the Japanese Communist Party, by 16,000 votes.

Aware of residents’ antipathy towards foreign visitors, which has worsened since the final pandemic travel restrictions were lifted last year, Matsui vowed to implement a two-tier public transport system and subsidise the fares of local residents.

He admitted, however, that such a scheme would require a change in national laws and that he would need to draw up a plan to detail how it might work.

Matsui has also proposed a tourist-only bus network that would ferry travellers between the main sights and free up space on regular city bus services.