Tokyo Municipalities to Tighten Regulations on "Minpaku" Services

Tokyo, Sept. 22 (Jiji Press)--The Japanese government, which aims to promote tourism in the country, has pushed "minpaku" private lodging services following a rapid increase in visitors from abroad.

In response to a series of complaints from residents about unwanted behavior by users of minpaku facilities, however, moves to tighten regulations, such as imposing a ban on opening new lodging facilities in residential areas, are spreading mainly among municipalities in Tokyo.

The minpaku system started in the country in June 2018, following the enactment of a related law. Under the law, operators are allowed to run their facilities for minpaku services after reporting to local authorities while being required, among other things, to respond to complaints from local residents.

The number of facilities reported to authorities for use as minpaku services stood at about 40,000 as of July this year. The cumulative number of guests in April-May each year has topped 1.74 million.

In Tokyo's busy Shinjuku Ward, where the number of reported minpaku facilities came to 3,775 as of this July, the largest of all municipalities in Japan, problems, such as those related to noise and garbage disposal, are increasing year by year.

[Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]