Japanese City Deploy Security Guards To Curb Over-Enthusiastic Selfie-Takers

The Japanese port city of Otaru is a popular tourist destination. Image: imago imagesFelix Seitzer/watson.deNew Zealand and “Lord of the Rings”, Dubrovnik and “Game of Thrones” or Sicily and “The Godfather” — some places are inextricably linked to films or series that were filmed there. Creating the film set is often both a curse and a blessing for the regions. Because on the one hand, there is hardly any better advertising, on the other hand, m…

It's not just Venice and the Canary Islands that are fed up with mass tourism. Private security has even been hired in the Japanese city of Otaru, once the setting for a popular movie and since then flooded by tourists.

Japanese City Deploy Security Guards To Curb Over-Enthusiastic Selfie-Takers

Authorities in Otaru, Japan, have deployed security guards to deter tourists from taking selfies at an iconic photo spot. This move was due to a need to control the negative effects of over tourism at the location, with the guards deployed in response to complaints by the locals. The location in question is the Funamizaka Slope, situated in a small city of Otaru on the island of Hokkaido. Made popular by the 1995 Japanese film, Love Letter, it f…