Kamakura, a Japanese coastal city that has long suffered from overtourism driven by pilgrimages to sites featured in the hit anime "Slam Dunk," is facing deepening resident fatigue as it gains new fame as a filming location for a Korean drama. This time, a railroad crossing in the middle of a residential neighborhood has emerged as a tourist hotspot, fueling a surge of complaints from locals.
Tourists Flock to Kamakura Residential Area After 'Is This Love Translatable' Release
The Asahi Shimbun recently reported that "Kamakura is already fighting overtourism, but a Korean drama has now saddled it with yet another overcrowded tourist attraction."
The drama in question is "Is This Love Translatable?" (known in Korean as "Isatong"), released globally on Netflix in January this year. The romance between multilingual interpreter Joo Ho-jin (played by Kim Seon-ho) and global superstar Cha Mu-hee (played by Go Yun-jung) features tourist landmarks across Japan, Italy, Canada and other countries as key settings.
Kamakura in Kanagawa Prefecture is depicted as one of the core locations, with filming conducted around Gokurakuji Station and Goryo Shrine. According to reports, a steady stream of female tourists from South Korea, Indonesia, Myanmar and elsewhere has been visiting since the drama's release.
The controversy intensified because one of the filming locations is a railroad crossing right next to an ordinary residential area. A once-quiet neighborhood was suddenly overrun with foreign visitors.
"Complaints from residents are growing as a tranquil spot in a residential area has attracted too many overseas visitors," the newspaper reported.
Following in Slam Dunk's Footsteps? 'Tourism Pollution' Concerns Spread
This is not the first such crisis in Kamakura. The railroad crossing in front of Kamakurakokomae Station, made famous by its appearance in the "Slam Dunk" opening sequence, has already become a popular spot drawing tourists from around the world.
A complex mix of overtourism side effects has accumulated, including safety threats from tourists occupying roadways, hygiene problems such as public urination after restroom closures, and disruptions to residents' daily lives from litter, noise and unauthorized photography.
In response, the Kamakura municipal government has implemented overtourism countermeasures around the Kamakurakokomae Station railroad crossing since 2017. From around 2023, it escalated its response by adding tourism etiquette signs — including bans on photography near residential areas — and reinforcing on-site security personnel.
Yet the situation has worsened rather than improved, with resident backlash growing stronger. Similar problems are now repeating at the "Is This Love Translatable" filming locations.
The newspaper noted that "the municipal government, considering the precedent of the Slam Dunk site, is taking measures such as expanding multilingual signage at the railroad crossing featured in the Korean drama." However, the local sentiment is that these efforts are insufficient to handle the flood of tourists.
The Financial Times reported in September last year that "disorderly behavior by some tourists continues unabated at the railroad crossing in front of Kamakurakokomae Station," adding that "this has led to the use of the term 'kanko kogai' (tourism pollution) — carrying an even more negative connotation than overtourism — on Japanese social media."
Analysts say Kamakura's case poses a challenge to Japanese municipal governments over how to strike a balance between the commercial success of content and the quality of life for local residents.