Litterbugs now face on-the-spot fines in Tokyo's tourist hotspot
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<p>Litterbugs in the Japanese tourist hub of Shibuya will now face an on-the-spot fine of 2,000 Japanese yen ($13; £9), as new penalties take effect amid the country&#8217;s tourism boom.</p>
<p>The fine collection system kicked in on Monday in Shibuya Ward, a commercial and entertainment centre that is home to the famed Shibuya Crossing.</p>
<p>In certain districts, authorities are also handing out fines for food and beverage shop operators who do not install waste bins.</p>
<p>Japan welcomed a record 42.7 million foreign visitors in 2025, and its government is trying to soothe the tensions this tourism boom has caused for local communities.</p>
<p>Officials say that around Shibuya there&#8217;s been an increasing number of people, including foreign tourists, openly drinking and littering, public broadcaster NHK reported.</p>
<p>As part of the anti-littering campaign &#8211; which carries the slogan &#8220;if you throw trash, you lose cash&#8221; &#8211; those found littering in Shibuya will be fined on the spot and made to pay via cash, credit card or QR codes.</p>
<p>Authorities say up to 50 officials will be deployed to patrol neighbourhoods and impose the fines.</p>
<p>&#8220;We cannot tolerate littering simply because there are no rubbish bins,&#8221; the Shibuya Ward authorities said in a press release. &#8220;We ask for your cooperation in creating a city where everyone can enjoy themselves comfortably.&#8221;</p>
<p>Rubbish bins are notoriously scarce in Japan, partly due to safety concerns after past terror attacks in the country and abroad.</p>
<p>In a government survey last year, the lack of public rubbish bins was ranked the biggest inconvenience for tourists, cited by more than 20% of some 4,000 foreign visitors.</p>
<p>Tourism has soared in Japan after the Covid pandemic, fuelled by a weakened yen and high social media interest. But the massive influx of tourists is testing the country&#8217;s urban infrastructure and local populations.</p>
<p>In the town of Fujiyoshida, near Mount Fuji, tourism has led to chronic traffic congestion and litter, as well as disruption to local residents&#8217; lives. <a target="_self" href="https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c1wzrlndzjro">Authorities cancelled the town&#8217;s famous cherry blossom festival this year</a>, saying the surge in tourists had become unmanageable for locals.</p>
<p>The Japanese government has come up with a range of measures to tackle overtourism, such as hiking its taxes for international tourists and introducing crowd-control apps, which provide real-time updates on how crowded certain areas are at certain times.</p>

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