Posted No Entry Sign at Watazumi Shrine on Tsushima Island
South Korean Tourists Exhibit Smoking and Loud Behavior
A famous shrine in Japan has sparked controversy by banning Korean tourists from entering. The shrine explained that the decision was due to some Korean tourists not observing proper manners.
On the 7th, private broadcaster Fuji News Network (FNN) reported that a signboard with the Korean phrase "Koreans prohibited from entering" was recently installed in front of Watazumi Shrine on Tsushima Island, Japan. Watazumi Shrine is a famous shrine related to Japan's founding mythology and is one of the attractions on Tsushima Island.
FNN stated that the measure was taken because some Korean tourists did not observe manners, such as smoking in prohibited areas within the shrine grounds and discarding cigarette butts.
The shrine's official Facebook account also posted several videos and photos showing the behavior of some Korean tourists. The videos showed a man openly smoking inside the shrine and throwing cigarette butts, as well as spitting on the ground. When a shrine attendant tried to stop him, he became angry and used abusive language. There were also scenes of people singing and dancing in Korean inside the shrine.
Due to the repeated disrespectful behavior, the shrine reportedly decided to ban Korean visitors altogether. However, FNN also reported concerns that such notices at nearby restaurants could be perceived as discriminatory. One restaurant owner said, "We understand the circumstances, but restricting only Koreans is excessive."
In response, a shrine official stated, "For a small shrine, it is difficult to accommodate many Koreans while controlling problematic behavior," and added, "We have no plans to lift the ban on Korean visitors in the future." This shrine had also imposed restrictions on some foreign tourists in 2019.
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