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Iconic Japanese hot springs town with Miyazaki-esque scenery is limiting visitors to avoid overtourism

Simon Calder’s Travel

A Japanese hot spring town popular with tourists is limiting entry to daytrippers during the peak winter season in a bid to tackle overtourism.

Japan saw a record number of visitors last year.

Ginzan Onsen, a remote town in the mountains of the northern Yamagata region, is known for its hot springs and fairytale winter views. It’s also famed for the rows of classically styled Edo-period wooden ryokan, or traditional inns, draped in snow and lit softly by street lamps.

The town’s idyllic charm and picturesque location have led many to believe it inspired auteur Hayao Miyazaki’s Oscar-winning film Spirited Away—which contributes to the 330,000 visitors Ginzan Onsen sees every year.

Onsens are natural geothermal water sources, rich in minerals, that have been utilised in Japan for centuries for their therapeutic health benefits.

The popularity of the 300-year-old town has, however, created problems for locals as the once-serene atmosphere is disrupted by the demands of an ever-growing influx of travellers.

A significant portion of the problems are attributed to daytrippers, tourists who visit the town for a few hours, usually during peak times, without staying overnight.

Ginzan Onsen’s idyllic charm and picturesque visuals have led many to believe it inspired auteur Hayao Miyazaki’s Oscar-winning film Spirited Away

Ginzan Onsen’s idyllic charm and picturesque visuals have led many to believe it inspired auteur Hayao Miyazaki’s Oscar-winning film Spirited Away (Yamagata Prefecture)

Altercations over popular photo spots are common, with tourists jostling for prime spots in the small town that was never designed to accommodate crowds of this magnitude.

“Traffic jams have sometimes been caused by cars getting stuck in the snow, because travellers were driving with normal tyres” instead of snow tyres, Takayuki Saito, head of commerce and tourism for the municipality of Obanazawa, told AFP.

According to Ginzan Onsen’s website, traffic congestion from daytrippers’ cars has become so severe that ambulances have, at times, been unable to reach emergencies, forcing personnel to run to the scene.

The town has imposed strict rules beginning 7 January till the end of March which will limit the number of day trippers during peak hours

The town has imposed strict rules beginning 7 January till the end of March which will limit the number of day trippers during peak hours (Getty Images)

Local residents are also regularly subjected to verbal abuse by frustrated visitors, leading the town to make rules to alleviate overcrowding, reduce traffic…

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