Foreign tourists in Japan highlight lack of public trash bins as key challenge

5th May 2025 – (Tokyo) Foreign travellers exploring Japan have identified the scarcity of public trash bins as a prominent obstacle during their excursions, as revealed by a government survey unveiled on Monday.

Conducted by the Japan Tourism Agency through an online questionnaire in January, the survey targeted over 4,000 foreign tourists who had recently visited Japan. Among the challenges encountered during their trips, 21.9 per cent highlighted the absence of sufficient trash bins, ranking it as one of the primary concerns.

Noteworthy grievances included difficulties in communication with facility staff due to language barriers, reported by 15.2 per cent of respondents, along with overcrowding at popular tourist spots, noted by 13.1 per cent of participants.

Moreover, 8.6 per cent of tourists expressed dissatisfaction with prolonged wait times at immigration checkpoints, signifying a significant increase compared to the previous year and indicating growing discontent with entry procedures. Despite these challenges, a considerable 51.1 per cent of respondents reported experiencing no issues at all, marking a notable surge of 21.4 percentage points from the preceding survey.

The Japan Tourism Agency attributes this boost in satisfaction to enhancements in communication channels and the overall visitor infrastructure. In response to the identified concerns, the agency has committed to collaborating with relevant ministries to tackle emerging issues and enhance the overall travel experience for international guests. Official data for 2024 revealed that Japan welcomed a record-breaking 36.86 million foreign visitors, underscoring the continued allure of the country as a premier tourist destination.