Japan’s famous Itsukushima Shrine, known for its stunning floating torii gate, has introduced a new fee for tourists to address the issue of overcrowding.
This bright-orange gate, seemingly hovering on water, is a well-known and beautiful spot in Japan.
It’s part of a 1,400-year-old Shinto complex in Hatsukaichi, Hiroshima prefecture, designated as a UNESCO World Heritage site.
Even President Joe Biden visited recently because of its popularity.
However, this popularity has led to problems. Hatsukaichi has been dealing with too many tourists, causing inconvenience for locals and impacting the environment.
To address these issues, they’ve now implemented a tourist tax, which started on a Sunday.
Originally planned for 2021 but delayed due to the pandemic, each visitor to the island of Miyajima, which provides access to the shrine, must pay 100 yen (about 67 cents).
If someone plans to visit multiple times, they can buy a 500 yen (about $3.33) pass valid for a year.
The money collected from this tax will be used to enhance the tourism experience.
It’ll be spent on things like public restrooms, preserving the shrine’s historical architecture, and promoting eco-friendly tourism in the area.
An official from the city’s planning department, Shunji Mukai, stated, “We feel the need to create a hospitable environment for tourists while securing the livelihood of islanders.
We hope that tourists will become stakeholders who join us to protect Miyajima by sharing responsibilities.”
A group called “Another Thousand Years” is leading the effort to protect and preserve Miyajima and the Itsukushima Shrine.
Their mission is clear: they want future visitors to become caretakers of the island, just like the local residents.
Their message is simple: “Why don’t we start doing what we can do now with pride? An island that enshrines the gods, we will cherish it for another thousand years.”
