In an unofficial move to protect local clientele from overtourism in Japan, some restaurants and attractions have begun charging tourist customers more than their regulars.
The two-tier price system is being seen by businesses as a way to rebalance the books in the face of the weak Japanese yen. The currency has lost around a third of its value over three years, which has pushed up incoming tourist numbers keen to take advantage of their spending power, while import costs for Japanese firms have soared. The solution, some have found, is to pass on those costs through higher prices, but only for certain customers.
Some businesses, such as Toyosu Senkyaku Banrai, a central Tokyo food court with 50 restaurants next to Toyosu Market, seem to be overrun by foreign tourist customers. Nikkei Asia reports that foreign tourists flock here to eat for example a 10,000-yen ($63.56) sea urchin bowl, in what for them is a bargain. But locals have been driven away.
To keep their local customers then, others are bringing in two-tier prices on their menus. Australian news outlet ABC has reported on one restaurant in the throbbing Shibuya district of Tokyo, where a note at the end of the menu points out that Japanese residents will receive a discount on the bill of 1,000 yen (5.84€).
The restaurant explained that serving high numbers of foreign guests affected its bottom line due to the need to employ English-speaking servers and spend time on what the owner called the “extra labour of teaching foreigners the right manners at Japanese restaurants”. Higher cancellation rates were common with foreign clientele, the owner added, noting that it would be unfair to penalise local guests for these extra business expenses.
It’s not just the restaurant sector deciding to make the tourists pay either. With lawyers saying charging different prices is legal, as long as the rates are properly advertised, introducing a two-tier or “differential pricing” system is on the cards elsewhere too.
Attractions such as western Japan’s UNESCO World Heritage treasure, Himeji Castle, are looking at putting up entry prices for foreign tourists there by 400%, a measure supported by Mayor Hideyasu Kiyomoto who pointed out that visiting the castle was a once in a lifetime experience for tourists, “but locals enjoy this place regularly.”
The Japanese cabinet is currently considering a White Paper on overtourism in the country, where attractions and authorities are taking measures into their own hands. A climbing fee has been imposed on Mount Fuji’s most popular trail and a tourist tax introduced on the iconic floating red torii gate of Itsukushima. Screens have even been installed to block Mount Fuji views in some nearby towns, due to anti-social tourist behaviour.
