"Stop Coming, Koreans"... Japanese Residents Frustrated as Korean Drama Fuels Overtourism

Surge in Overseas Tourists After Netflix Drama Release
Residents Suffer From Trespassing and Traffic Congestion

Kamakura City in Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan, which became famous through the animation "Slam Dunk," is now drawing attention as a filming location for a Korean drama and is suffering from overtourism.

According to Japanese media outlet Asahi Shimbun on March 31, "Kamakura has already been struggling with overtourism, but due to a Korean drama, it has acquired yet another overcrowded tourist attraction." Overtourism refers to the phenomenon where an excessive number of tourists flock to a destination, causing various negative side effects.

Kamakura featured in the Netflix drama "Does This Love Interpreter Work?" Netflix

Kamakura appeared as a major filming location in the Netflix drama "Does This Love Interpreter Work?", which was released in January. The drama was filmed in various countries, including Japan, Italy, and Canada.

In particular, scenes filmed around Gokurakuji Station and Goryo Shrine have become a hot topic, reportedly leading to a surge in international tourists from countries such as South Korea, Indonesia, and Myanmar.

However, controversy has arisen because some of the popular locations featured in the drama are railroad crossings near residential neighborhoods. The influx of tourists into what were previously quiet areas has resulted in traffic congestion, noise, unauthorized filming, and other disturbances to local residents. In reality, there have been repeated complaints about crowds making it difficult for vehicles to pass, trespassing on private property, and littering.

Kamakura has already experienced overtourism around the Kamakurakokomai Station railroad area, which became famous as the backdrop of "Slam Dunk." There have been cases where residents' lives were disrupted by tourists occupying roads, urinating outdoors, littering, and taking photos without permission.

Kamakurakokomai Station appeared in the animation "Slam Dunk" and became a worldwide attraction. YouTube video capture

Since 2017, the local government has responded by installing signs and deploying security personnel, and recently has strengthened measures by expanding "No Photography" and multilingual notices. Notices in Korean, English, and Japanese have also been distributed at drama filming sites. However, there are concerns that these measures are insufficient to keep up with the rapidly increasing number of tourists.

The British media outlet Financial Times reported that, due to the continued disorderly behavior of some tourists, the term "kanko kokai" (tourism pollution) is now being used on Japanese social networking services, going beyond overtourism.

Meanwhile, other regions suffering from overtourism include Venice in Italy and the Swiss Alps. These destinations are considering imposing various taxes to limit the number of tourists. In South Korea, Jeju Island, Bukchon Hanok Village and Itaewon in Seoul, and Jeonju Hanok Village are typical examples of places experiencing overtourism.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.