Kamakura’s overtourism spawns unusual solution

Kamakura, a scenic coastal city near Tokyo, is struggling to cope with the influx of tourists. Crowds of people are concentrated near the railway crossing made famous by the manga and anime series slam dunkLocated near the Enoshima Electric Railway Kamakura Kogakumae Station (called Enoden).

The surge in visitors has led to continued littering and vandalism, pushing the small community to its limits. To address the city’s growing logistical and financial crisis, the city government took an unusual step: launching a crowdfunding campaign to pay for necessary security personnel.

The intersection near Kamakura High School Mae Station featured in the introduction to the “Slam Dunk” series

The impact of overtourism in Kamakura

huge popularity slam dunk The series made the crossing a must-visit attraction, but the resulting overtourism caused severe community stress. Tourists often gather – as many as 200 people at peak times – flooding the roads to take photos, creating safety hazards and forcing security personnel to constantly intervene.

In addition to safety risks, communities are dealing with significant behavioral issues. For example, the station’s restrooms were closed in late April after repeated vandalism, with inappropriate items flushed down the toilet. There is a temple nearby report Littering and even urinating, including leaving plastic bottles filled with urine on the ground.

As local complaints mount, the city warns that tougher measures may be needed to protect the community and could even make scenic spots “less photogenic,” similar to A method used by a town near Mount Fuji To shock the crowd.

Kotokuin Kamakura Great Buddha

Debate over the cost of crowd control

In order to maintain order and safety, cities and railway lines have to continuously increase security personnel. Weekend traffic, which began in 2017, is recommended to be upgraded to weekday work in 2023, with a dedicated two-person safety team required by 2024. At its peak, the team expanded to seven people. Currently, five tour guides are stationed there.

Bills for these sweeping safety measures – which historically have been paid for with a combination of state subsidies, rail contributions and local taxes – have become a major focus of debate.

Local residents are understandably frustrated, feeling they receive little direct benefit from the tourism boom while taxpayer funds are used to manage it. This frustration has led to suggestions that rail operators should take full financial responsibility.

Kamakura’s Answer: Furusato Nozei Project

The city also received help from tourists outside Kamakura, prompting the launch of the Hometown Tax (Furusato Nozei) campaign. this tax credit program Launched in 2008 to revitalize Japan’s less populous regions, taxpayers living in cities can “donate” a certain amount of their residents’ taxes to their regional “hometowns.” In return, donors receive gifts from the region, ranging from local produce to handicrafts.

The campaign’s goal is ambitious: Kamakura hopes to raise 3.5 million yen (about $23,000) by January 7 to cover the cost of hiring additional security personnel. It also hopes to add new signage to manage crowd flow.

However, unlike typical examples of Furusato Nozei programmes, the campaign will not offer thank-you gifts in return, meaning its success will depend entirely on public awareness and compassion.

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