Japanese Pay 10,000 Won, Foreigners 40,000 Won... Japan Considers Entrance Fee Increase for Restaurants

Plan to Raise Current Prices by About 10,000 to 40,000 Won
Dual Pricing System Expands Across Japan

Himeji Castle in Hyogo Prefecture, Japan, is considering a plan to quadruple the admission fee for foreigners.

Japan's Himeji Castle is pushing for a fourfold increase in admission fees for foreign tourists.
[Image source=Pixabay]

On the 17th, the Yomiuri Shimbun reported that at an international conference the previous day, a plan to increase the admission fee for foreigners at Himeji Castle, the first site in Japan to be recognized as a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage site, by four times was discussed as a measure against "overtourism." The revenue collected from the admission fees will be used to support the lives of residents affected by overtourism and to fund castle restoration work. Mayor Hideyasu Kiyomoto said, "(Currently) you can enter Himeji Castle for 7 dollars (about 9,700 won)," adding, "I want to charge foreigners 30 dollars (about 40,000 won) and citizens around 5 dollars (about 6,900 won)."

In 2023, approximately 1.48 million visitors came to Himeji Castle, of which about 30%, or roughly 450,000, were foreign tourists, marking a record high. Himeji Castle is a wooden structure representing 17th-century Japanese castles and was registered as a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage site in 1993.

Meanwhile, in Japan, the application of a "dual pricing system," where tourists are charged higher prices for goods than locals, is expanding. Several restaurants and other establishments are already implementing this dual pricing system. For example, a seafood restaurant charges residents of Japan 5,980 yen (about 52,000 won), while tourists pay 1,000 yen more at 6,980 yen (about 61,000 won). The restaurant explained, "Considering the costs of serving tourists, we have no choice but to set higher prices." However, in some tourist spots, the difference in admission fees between local residents and tourists reaches up to 15 times, sparking controversy over "exorbitant charges."

Currently, not only Japan but also India, Thailand, and Jordan operate differential pricing for domestic and foreign visitors at tourist sites.