....BUT IT WAS KIMCHI, INSTEAD!!!!🤣🤣🤣

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Japanese shrine bans foreign visitors following disrespectful behaviour by tourists



Nagasaki priest says over-tourism, vandalism and theft of amulets led to his controversial decision.

In Japan, a lot of importance is placed on behaving well and respecting traditions and etiquette, and nowhere are these virtues more valued than at a holy place of worship, such as a temple or shrine.

For one shrine priest in Nagasaki Prefecture, however, the lack of respect displayed by visiting worshippers has become such a problem that he’s now decided to take issues into his own hands, announcing on Twitter that he would be banning all foreign tourists.

The tweet, from the head priest of Watatsumi Shrine, which lies on the island of Tsushima, says the blanket ban on all foreign tourists is due to bad behaviour by Korean visitors, involving abusive language and aggressive conduct from tour guides and theft of talismans by tourists.

▼ The ban on “foreigners” is mentioned in the first screenshot on the left.

Tsushima’s location, in between the Korea Strait and the Tsushima Strait, roughly halfway between the Japanese mainland and the Korean peninsula, means the shrine receives a large number of Korean tourists. The priest says the shrine is currently suffering from over-tourism, with up to 30-40 tour buses dropping people off on the grounds on a busy day so they can take photos on the picturesque grounds.

While the ban covers all foreigners, the priest has specifically taken issue with visitors from Korea, one of whom was a YouTuber who filmed the grounds and people at the shrine without permission. He’s also been dismayed by tourists sitting on the side of the road eating food, as the land past the white line is said to be part of the shrine grounds.

There’s also the issue of vandalism by Korean visitors, who’ve etched their names into a wooden board dedicated to the hanging of ema votive plaques.

The priest says he’s also had a problem with the conduct of tour guides, who stand on the steps at the front of the haiden, a hall of worship, despite him asking them not to do so. On a busy day, he’s cautioned up to 40 guides, which is something he says he does from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. from spring through to summer.

Some tour guides are also said to take 10 to 20 minutes to explain the site while standing in sacred entryways that block the path for local worshippers

As a result of all these issues, the priest decided to place a ban on all foreign tourists, saying:

“Let me say, if you think this is hate or a violation of human rights, please discuss it directly with me. We cannot put up with the destruction of a site of worship.”

That still hasn’t stopped overseas tourists from visiting, however, as the tour guides are still bringing travellers to the shrine, and are said to react aggressively when the priest asks to speak to them.

▼ The priest says this tour guide said he would strangle him and told him to “die”.

There are two sides to every story, of course, and looking back at the long history of Japan-Korea tensions reveals Tsushima has been a highly contentious island for decades. Despite being a part of Japan’s Nagasaki Prefecture, Tsushima is known as “Daemado” in Korean, and the South Korean city of Changwon claims the island is part of their country’s territory, despite having no official territorial claim to the land.

A number of Koreans have also commented on the Japanese flags displayed at Watatsumi Shrine, which for many represent a sense of animosity as it brings back memories of their country’s war-torn past. The priest, however, makes no apology for displaying the flags, saying it’s a traditional flag with “a beautiful design that symbolises the sun”.


Against this background, the dispute between the priest and the Korean tourists sadly doesn’t look like it’s going to be resolved anytime soon. And while vandalising property is a crime, restricting access to people on the basis of race, like Japanese storeowners and onsen operators have done in the past, is also against the law.

While we’re yet to see whether there will be any legal repercussions for the shrine and its head priest, here’s hoping a respect for religion and sacred sites on both sides of the divide will bring both parties together to discuss the issues at hand and eventually bring about a peaceful resolution. Otherwise, it won’t just be Japanese and Koreans, but people from all backgrounds who will end up suffering the consequences.

sos

Mattaku.

Yes, PRC visitors are very disrespectful as well.
As seen in this topic: https://forum.lowyat.net/index.php?showtopic=4837016

even in msia have japanese only clubs

Prc mangkuk pun sama kasi ban je la

Last time i was there, they spit at the place where people wash their hands before entering the shrine

Sohai af

Losers here have to say PRC trying to divert attention.

To japanese ,PRC is better than korean.

Only katak bawah tempurung worship koreans

ohman kata jangan.

Oh well he protex vera mode already activated.

Here comes another loser.

Bodo malaysian worship money . ada duit worship Japanese but some japon really don't like malas people here. u can guess.

japanese before came here naive, bersopan and ethic. after coming to malaysia they noticed a lot kiss asser from taxi to corporate then they knew there's a world called " Fakers World"

Here they suddenly noticed the racism of their own kind . chinese and japanese actually same eye, same skin. they realized that the racist here are against the different race but not towards them because they were japanese ( a bit atasan) because they lived in atasan residential areas but skin are still the same. So when they are in unfortunate event here, they quickly speak their language to feel atasan.

True story.

Tongsan and kimchi visitors are equally annoying

Head Priest: My tokong my rule, you dun like sila keluar

Even Malaysian idiots bring shame when village folks go overseas.

I tot china now korea liao?

letak je la toll. 500k yen per foreign visitor. 100 yen for japanese visitor easy.

PRC rightfully get alot hate

but seriously Koreans are just as bad

Last time i was in Korea got sign in MALAY "Jangan Mengotorkan Tempat ini.".

I buat tak tau tak faham baca.

Huh? Kolia now pun samprah?

Koreans are bad tourists. Period.

One homestay, which I stayed before, in Turkey bans Korean. I was almost not welcome because the owner thought I am Korean until I told him I am Malaysian.

I saw a Korean man walking in a Mosque's praying area with shoes in Egypt even some worshipers told him to remove them.

I don't like to meet Koreans when traveling and avoiding PRC too.

i believe many people think korean are good because of those korean drama. in actual, go anywhere and if you see korean tourist, most likely they are loud and boorish.
i still remember vividly when i was in angkor wat 2 yrs ago, the whole temple ground filled with korean shouting and they just cut or just stand in front of you when they want to take photo. only when u climb to some high ground, u find some quietness