Newscriticism: "How Japan, the world's most polite country, lost its patience with tourists" (Telegraph, May 15th 2024)

[From Telegraph's article.]

SUMMARY

The Japanese town of Fujikawaguchiko, famous for its scenic views of Mount Fuji, is taking drastic measures to address the misbehavior of tourists. The town has begun constructing a large black mesh barrier to block a popular photo spot that aligns Mount Fuji with a local Lawson convenience store, a view that became a social media sensation known as "Mt. Fuji Lawson." This decision comes after numerous complaints from residents about tourists littering, ignoring traffic rules, trespassing, and generally disrupting the neighborhood's peace​.

Local business owners, while appreciating the influx of tourists post-pandemic, have expressed mixed feelings about the new barrier. Some, like cafe owner Michie Motomochi, acknowledge the economic benefits but are concerned about tourists' manners. Others believe that alternative solutions, such as road barriers for safety, might have been more appropriate. Despite the controversy, the town hopes the screen will manage the tourist flow better and mitigate the negative impact on the community​.

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NEWSCRITICISM

Some people would like to think this was just a simple act of ethically disrespecting another culture between humans – an ethical clash, so to say.

But I digress.

This is far from just a simple act of direspect by tourists to the locals, if that is the case and situation we are looking at truly in its full phenomena.

This is a manifestion of a Clash of Civilizations in its basic form. Notice how post-pandemic, cases like this spiked upward during the period of overtourism in some areas? And who mostly commits these transgressions that made this happen in the first place? It is the tourists from the West – the Western Civilization – (Huntington); more specifically, the Americans and thier American Civilization (and so goes the Europeans and thier European Civilization-State) that mostly commits this cultural clash of mannerisms and respect against the Japanese Civilization in their own soil. Here lies the manifestation of a clash between individuality and collectivity, between tradition and autonomy; it manifests in simple things like these that, if this problem continues, will be a sign of trouble and resentment by the people in thier own civilizations. The Westerners want to project Thier individuality by means of disregarding the ordered rules of the Japanese Civilization – they want to be treated as individuals that regards thier ego as themselves, while Japanese Society, being collective and steeped on tradition (hence hierarchical), is steeped on order to keep thier society whole and mutual to each other; a moralistic Collectivist society. Thier views of morality is different; and when these two morality and different worldviews are pitted to each other again, it manifests as a clash of moralities, each that may possibly escalate into violence – the violence of moralities and idealisms between people of two civilizations.

Tourists misbehaving in other countries is, sadly common across the globe and is not limited in its phenomena to Japan. But what's interesting (and is such a big deal) is that post-pandemic, the cases of moral clash in its many forms in Japan because of overtourism spiked; it had many cases of these incidents in the country since the end of the COVID-19 Pandemic. The primal aggresivity of mankind against thier own kind, even in a civilized society, have been reactivating again because of a clash of moralities; in this case, the West and the Japanese. Such incidents like these are signs of not mere district, but a cultural conflict between people of different civilizations manifesting themselves in the circumstances of society and history. Put two identities against each other, and you will get a conflict of identities – either through force, or subtlety.

Joshua Kyle T. Rovero

Estado Rovero May 19th 2024