By YOSHINORI DOI/ Staff Writer
September 11, 2025 at 07:00 JST
Ads educating foreign visitors on proper garbage disposal etiquette (Provided by the Ishikawa prefectural government)
KANAZAWA—To counter problems from overtourism, Ishikawa Prefecture and the prefectural capital of Kanazawa are using social media to encourage foreign visitors to behave properly and stop annoying residents.
The social media advertisements address such issues as littering, unauthorized photography, eating while walking and failing to show up for reservations.
There have also been complaints about foreign tourists with large luggage blocking access to public transportation.
The ads were released after opinions about overtourism were exchanged at three meetings held since September last year.
The ads were designed to be randomly displayed on visitors’ smartphones that are set to a non-Japanese language at Kanazawa Station and Komatsu Airport. If a person clicks on the ads, they are taken to a detailed site on etiquette.
According to Ishikawa prefectural government’s international tourism division, Kanazawa city had previously placed fliers at tourist information centers to promote proper manners.
However, the prefecture and the city decided to more proactively send the messages by taking advantage of digital tools.
The number of foreign visitors to the prefecture is increasing.
Kenrokuen, a popular garden that is used as an indicator of foreign tourist numbers in Ishikawa Prefecture, saw 298,406 foreign visitors from January to June, a 15.8-percent year-on-year increase from the same period last year.
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