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The story
Tokyo’s Ginza district, packed during Japan’s three-day weekend, has seen a surge in tourists sitting directly on the ground — sparking controversy over manners. According to ABEMA TIMES, part of the problem is that there’s nowhere to put benches for people to sit, leaving police unsure how to respond. Depending on the circumstances, the report notes, this behavior could even amount to a legal violation. On 5ch, posters are split between those criticizing tourists’ manners and those who blame the city for failing to provide proper resting spots. Many comments also drew comparisons to the Showa era and pointed out cultural differences with other countries.
Ginza’s ‘Ground-Sitters’ Surge Sparks Controversy — No Benches, Police Baffled; Could Be a Legal Violation Depending on Circumstances | ABEMA TIMES
Blessed with good weather this three-day weekend, popular destinations have been bustling. Meanwhile, in Ginza — one of Tokyo’s premier tourist spots — the manners of tourists sitting directly on the ground have become a point of controversy.
Meat grilled on a sizzling hotplate, paired with beer. A three-day weekend under clear autumn skies.
Source: times.abema.tv / Read the original article here
What people said
That's totally normal in China and Korea.
Don't be racist.
And this country's an OECD member? What a joke.
Sounds like someone from a country that's in the OECD but not the G7.
Even if it's meant to deter homeless people, the whole approach is fundamentally wrong.
Just get rid of the people sitting on the ground, simple as that.
(a deep flat-footed squat, associated with delinquent youth) Their ankles are too stiff.
Apparently white people can't even do the 'poop squat' to begin with.
Japan's really gone downhill when both the locals and the inbound tourists are starting to look like refugees.
It's just media spin anyway, and they're foreign tourists…
Tokyo's full of transplants from the countryside, that's why this happens.
Tokyo's always been a city full of people from the countryside, but up through the 2000s I never once saw anyone sitting on the ground in Ginza.
Though 30 years ago the underground passages did have homeless people, and sometimes it smelled pretty bad lol
They should build more spots.
Why not just bring your own? It's your problem, not theirs.
No one did this in the Showa era.
Not even during pedestrian-only zone events.
Was that really the case? Feel like I remember seeing it pretty often.
That place doesn't have all that many benches either.
It's a bit of a walk, too.
Locals are used to it, but still.
More importantly, why can't they just put benches there?
It's a Road Traffic Act violation — prohibited conduct on public roads.
Can't even afford the entry ticket fee?
Charging people just to sit down — how petty can you get.
Does the Tokyo subway even have that many benches to begin with?
In the countryside, do you just sit on logging timber or rice straw in the paddies?
Don't go full French-style on us lol
It's just common sense to plan out a snack spot around your shopping or theater schedule.
If you just take a taxi or drive straight to your destination, you won't have to walk and won't get tired.
Even with pricey parking, getting around by car is worth it.
Though I haven't been to Ginza lately so I wouldn't know.
At least look at the photos.
It's almost all white people.
I don't think people from countries with a Confucian heritage would do this.
There are incredibly few Chinese tourists this year.
And this is during China's National Day holiday week — supposedly the peak season for Chinese tourists.
Even tourist spots within mainland China are reportedly dead quiet, which really drives home that the Chinese economic bubble bursting has become reality.
Though I guess the spread of COVID and various other illnesses probably isn't helping either.
If people are tired, as long as it's affordable, they'd probably want to at least grab a drink.
This is an environment where 90% of ramen shops charging 1,200 yen a bowl with a 15-minute turnover can't survive a year.
If people camped out for an hour over an 800-yen coffee, the place wouldn't even last six months.
If you calculate the profit margin based on real estate prices, you're looking at a 1,500-yen cola with a 15-minute limit lol
Background and Key Points of This Debate
Under Japan’s Road Traffic Act, sitting on a sidewalk or roadway isn’t always illegal — it only becomes a regulatory issue when it ‘obstructs passage.’ The original article’s note that this ‘could be a legal violation depending on the circumstances’ appears to reflect that distinction. Separately, in recent years public spaces have increasingly removed benches or redesigned them to be deliberately uncomfortable, often as a deterrent against homeless people or long-term loitering — and the resulting shortage of resting spots is frequently cited as a side effect of that trend. Thread commenters were split: some focused on the manners of tourists sitting on the ground, while others argued the real problem lies with authorities and the city failing to provide places to rest in the first place. Many posts speculated about the nationality of those involved, but neither the original article nor the accompanying photos actually confirm who they were — so such assumptions should be treated with caution.
※This article is excerpted and summarized from the 5ch (News Speed+) thread “Ginza’s ‘Ground-Sitters’ Surge Sparks Controversy — No Benches, Police Baffled; Could Be a Legal Violation Depending on Circumstances.”
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