A report claims residents of Dazaifu in Fukuoka prefecture complained about groups ‘making a racket in Chinese’ at a popular hanami spot
3-MIN READ3-MINJulian RyallPublished: 9:30am, 9 Apr 2026Japan’s famed cherry blossom season has become the latest battleground in a broader debate over overtourism, etiquette and how foreign visitors are portrayed when trouble flares.That debate sharpened this week after the conservative Sankei newspaper ran a report accusing “unruly crowds” of foreigners of misbehaving during hanami – or cherry blossom viewing parties – across Japan, prompting renewed calls for visitors to show greater respect for local customs.
In an echo of wider demands to rein in foreign tourists, Sunday’s edition of the paper carried a story under the headline: “Singing and dancing during ‘explosive cherry blossom viewing’ can lead to tourism pollution.”
The article said noise, “dangerous rule-breaking” and overtourism were “pushing residents to the limit”.
To support its claim, the report said residents of Dazaifu, in Fukuoka prefecture, had complained about groups “making a racket in Chinese” at a popular hanami spot.
