Over tourism isn’t necessarily people being dickheads. Most people are probably just like you: respectful and appreciative of our culture. It’s just that there are way too many of you guys. And that’s really not your fault. The Japanese government and the corporations did not try at all to promote and grow the industry in a sustainable way and us normies were too complacent until shit got too annoying.

I’m Okinawan and I don’t even go to my old favourite spots anymore because it’s too packed everywhere and most of the places I liked are gone anyway — they got replaced by lame tourist traps.

There’s no easy answer to the situation but you know what makes a difference (for me, at least)? It’s when tourists try to engage with us locals instead of treating us and our culture as the background to their content to share on Instagram.