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. In 2025, the Shinjuku ward office received a total of more than 1,300 requests for consultations and complaints from residents, including about the noise of pulling a suitcase and minpaku users mistakenly visiting their homes. The ward office is authorized to issue administrative guidance to and take action against minpaku operators that do not respond appropriately to such complaints. But it is difficult to figure out problems that happen at night. The municipal office has been unable to contact some operators, while the workloads of public health offices dealing with such problems are becoming heavy. In response, the Shinjuku ward office plans to submit to the local assembly next February a proposal to amend a related ordinance to ban the opening of new minpaku facilities in residential areas and around schools in principle. The new regulation would take effect in June 2027, and two years later, the ward office plans to apply the rule to existing minpaku facilities as well. As a result, about half of the minpaku facilities in Shinjuku are expected to become unqualified to operate. Shinjuku Mayor Kenichi Yoshizumi said: “I think opposition (to the new rule) from minpaku operators will be strong. Still, the industry itself is responsible for the situation.” Pointing to an increase in problematic facilities, Yoshizumi said, “There is a limit to the ward’s human resources, so we want to respond and ensure that (all) minpaku facilities are placed under monitoring.” Among other municipalities in Tokyo, Taito and Ota wards also plan to revise their ordinances to prohibit new minpaku facilities in residential areas. Taito Ward has popular tourist spots, such as the Asakusa and Ueno districts. Ota Ward is home to Haneda Airport. “Not all minpaku operators are problematic, but the number of businesses that operate properly is small,” an official of Shibuya Ward in the Japanese capital said, suggesting that the ward office will consider tightening related regulations. Elsewhere in the country, the western city of Kyoto plans to effectively ban the opening of new minpaku facilities in residential and industrial areas. The series of moves by local municipalities come on the heels of a notice issued to local governments by the Japan Tourism Agency in July. The Japanese government had been cautious about tightening minpaku-related regulations. But the government changed its stance in the wake of increasing problems, saying in the notice that local authorities can effectively ban minpaku operations under ordinances if the local living and educational environments are undermined. The agency is also considering supporting local governments’ efforts to deal with rogue operators, expecting demand for minpaku services to continue increasing. Specifically, it plans to set up, on a trial basis, a call center to accept complaints from residents at night and provide the information to Shinjuku and two other municipalities, in an effort to establish appropriate methods for issuing administrative guidance and taking punitive action. END [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]
