Up to 10 Nuisance Incidents Occur Daily
"Smoking and Noise, Will Continue to Ban"
Geographically close to Korea and attracting many tourists, a shrine on Japan's Tsushima Island has decided to ban Korean tourists from entering, sparking mixed reactions among netizens. On the 7th, Japan's Fuji News Network (FNN) reported on the recent decision by a shrine on Tsushima Island to prohibit tourist entry. FNN covered the damage and concerns caused by Korean tourists who cause trouble at the famous Watatsumi Shrine on Tsushima Island.
As the damage increased, the temple posted a notice on the signboard stating "Koreans are prohibited from entering." However, FNN reported that controversy is arising due to the fact that a specific group was singled out. [Photo by FNN YouTube Channel]
Watatsumi Shrine on Tsushima Island is related to Japan's founding mythology and is famous as a representative tourist destination of Tsushima. This temple, known for its mystical atmosphere and attracting many tourists, strictly prohibits smoking within the shrine grounds, as is standard for Japanese religious facilities. However, some tourists have ignored the rules and smoked cigarettes, and a video filmed before the pandemic captured Korean tourists singing, dancing, and making loud noises within the temple grounds. In particular, in one video, a middle-aged Korean man showed anger when asked to stop smoking.
In footage reported by FNN, cigarette butts were seen discarded throughout the temple grounds and roads. FNN stated, "According to local residents, the number has recently been increasing." Other issues such as driving in the wrong direction (Japan’s road system is opposite to Korea’s) and illegal parking have also occurred. FNN reported that the shrine had to call the police after Korean tourists causing disturbances assaulted staff trying to stop them.
As Damage Increases, Shrine Posts Sign Saying "Koreans Prohibited from Entry"
As the damage increased, the shrine posted a notice stating "Koreans are prohibited from entering." However, FNN reported that this has sparked controversy for singling out a specific group. A nearby restaurant official told FNN in an interview, "I understand the sentiment, but limiting it only to Koreans seems a bit excessive." On the other hand, many Japanese netizens expressed understanding of the shrine’s response.
Some tourists inside the temple ignored the rules and smoked cigarettes, while a video filmed before the pandemic captured Korean tourists making noise by singing and dancing within the temple grounds. [Photo by FNN YouTube channel]
One Japanese netizen commented, "Whether to allow entry to religious facilities or private property is up to the owner’s judgment," and "I think it’s better to prohibit entry in advance than to experience Japanese prisons while sightseeing." Another netizen said, "When such incidents are reported in the media, they are criticized as discrimination and eventually withdrawn with apologies, but a firm message must be sent."
Korean netizens also joined the criticism of the report. One netizen said, "I’m ashamed to be Korean," and "Please stop embarrassing our country abroad." However, some responded, "If it says Koreans are prohibited, then just don’t go to Tsushima at all," "It’s probably because just hearing the word shrine like Yasukuni makes people uncomfortable," and "Tsushima sees Korean tourists as easy targets, so who keeps traveling there?"
Despite the controversy, Watatsumi Shrine stated it will maintain the "Koreans prohibited from entry" policy. The shrine emphasized its future measures, saying, "It is difficult for a small shrine like this to accept many Koreans and control abusive language. We want to protect this place with a firm attitude."
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