People have been flocking to the Shiretoko Peninsula in northeastern Hokkaido after it was approved for inclusion on UNESCO's World Heritage List last July, but the influx is creating problems for local residents and business owners.
The number of visitors to the Utoro Hot Spring area near the town of Shari, the center of tourism on the peninsula, has quadrupled, a hotel manager said.
One day in late June, the walking trail around the Shiretokogo lakes, in which the snow-capped Shiretoko mountain chain is reflected, was overcrowded with tourists.