Japan's government plans to draw up measures as early as this autumn to address so-called "overtourism."
The number of foreign visitors to Japan continues to recover. In July, the country welcomed an estimated 2.32 million people from overseas. The figure is about 70 percent of the pre-pandemic level.
But the concentration of visitors has had various negative effects on sightseeing spots.
Officials from the Japan Tourism Agency, the Economy, Trade and Industry Ministry and other relevant bodies met at the Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism Ministry on Wednesday for their first discussion on the problem.
Participants were introduced to cases including tourists crowding public transport systems and inconveniencing local residents, and tourists trespassing onto private land to take photos.
They were also introduced to efforts to ease the problem, such as official websites giving tourists real-time information on the level of congestion at sightseeing spots, and setting up signs urging tourists to mind their manners.
The government plans to hold more meetings on the issue over the coming months.