KAMAKURA, Kanagawa Prefecture--In the late afternoon one weekday in early September, dozens of tourists crowded around a railway crossing here, a pilgrimage site for fans of the popular basketball manga “Slam Dunk.”

When the alarm rang and the crossing gate descended, many excited fans turned their smartphones and cameras to capture an oncoming retro-looking Enoshima Electric Railway Co. train against the backdrop of Sagami Bay.

A security guard warned two female foreign tourists against crossing the street, forming an X with his hands for a firm “no.” Speaking loudly, he cautioned people against stepping off the sidewalk or stopping to loiter in narrow spots.

Kamakura is one of many travel destinations grappling with a sudden surge of over-tourism as the number of foreign visitors rebounds following the lifting of coronavirus restrictions.

Kamakura Police Station received 124 reports related to the crossing in the first eight months of this year, compared with 18 reports in all of 2022.

Many are complaints about congestion in the area and nuisance from parked vehicles.

Starting in September, the Kamakura city government put a security guard at the crossing between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. on weekdays, sharing expenses with Enoshima Electric Railway. Previously, a security guard was only posted on weekends.

The crossing appears at the beginning of the “Slam Dunk” anime, based on the manga of the same title, which is popular in South Korea, China and other Asian countries as well as in Japan.

Visitors have apparently risen following the December opening of the film “The First Slam Dunk," which has raked in 15.7 billion yen ($106 million) at the box office.

“Things have been more or less the same for the past five years or so,” a 51-year-old local resident said. “The number of visitors appeared to have fallen a little due to the coronavirus, but it recently began increasing again.”

He said visitors sometimes block traffic by straying into the streets, and some enter apartment complexes or school grounds without authorization.

About 20 million people visited Kamakura annually before the pandemic. The number declined to a record-low 6.56 million in 2021 but recovered to 11.96 million last year.

The city is again facing problems of over-tourism, such as congestion of public transportation, littering and photographing on streets.

The city and its tourism association have posted a map online showing the degree of congestion at major sightseeing spots to lead visitors to less-crowded areas.

They have also included cautions about photographing, eating while walking and other subjects in sightseeing leaflets in six languages, accompanied by illustrations.

CROWDS ABOUND

Kamakura is not the only place in Japan facing a resurgence of over-tourism, and the central government has taken notice.

In September, related ministries and agencies, such as the Japan Tourism Agency, started discussions to study measures to prevent problems in advance.

Tourist destinations have also taken their own responses.

The Kyoto city tourism association is live-streaming images of 10 locations, including Kyoto Station and urban areas, and showing the forecast for congestion at sightseeing spots on its website.

The association is also recommending that tourists visit sightseeing sites in the morning and evening when they are less crowded.

In Shirakawa-go, a World Heritage site in Gifu Prefecture featuring traditional “gassho-zukuri” steep-roofed thatched farmhouses, problems such as littering and congestion due to parked vehicles have become serious.

Next year, the tourist association there will introduce an admission ticket system for visitors to its annual light-up event from January to February, in addition to the existing advance booking system.

The association said this measure is necessary to protect residents’ lives and enable visitors to enjoy the event by controlling tourist numbers.

In Iriomotejima island, a World Heritage site in Okinawa Prefecture, local authorities have set the ceiling for tourist numbers at 330,000 annually and 1,200 a day by taking into account the impact of tourism on the natural environment and residents’ lives.

Local government officials spread the timing of group tours and school trips in coordination with tourist agencies and shipping companies.