New Japanese tourism minister Yasushi Kaneko has voiced concerns about overtourism and the negative impact on the country from the large influx of foreign tourists.

The concentration of foreign visitors in certain regions is "very serious," Kaneko, who was tapped to his post by new Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi on Tuesday, said in an interview with media organizations Thursday.

Measures to address the issue will be included in the country's upcoming tourism promotion plan, he said.

Kaneko explained that the ministry "supports local initiatives to balance the acceptance of tourists with efforts to ensure residents' quality of life," including the introduction of express buses connecting tourist spots, congestion maps and signs promoting good manners.

The ministry is currently discussing revisions to the basic plan for promoting Japan as a tourism-oriented country, with the aim of spreading the benefits of tourism to all regions, he said.

Kaneko also voiced caution over a proposal by the ruling Liberal Democratic Party's new coalition partner, the Japan Innovation Party (JIP), to fully lift a ban on ride-hailing services in Japan. The JIP is also known as Nippon Ishin no Kai.

"Paid passenger services must ensure safety through proper management and vehicle maintenance," he stressed, citing the need to determine who would be responsible in the event of accidents.

On the development of infrastructure in rural areas, he said: "I want to be fully engaged in programs to make the nation's land more resilient so that people can continue living there no matter what happens. There can be no prosperity for a country without the prosperity of its rural areas."