Japan deals with ‘tourism pollution’ from surges in visitors

An excess of tourists to popular destinations has led to the tourism pollution phenomenon.

It was the afternoon of Aug 5, which saw a high temperature of 39.5˚C in the city of Kyoto, Japan. The throng of foreign visitors unable to board appeared somewhat resentful as the bus departed, stranding them in scorching heat. Such sights are increasingly common in Kyoto as more and more tourists visit the country.

Some visitors had brought small portable fans after conducting research in advance. Even so, “Heat like this is really hard to bear,” complained a man in his 20s from Xian, China.