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Japanese influencer faces criticism over accusing tourists of littering at popular destinations

Published: 22 Oct. 2025, 12:18

The photo shows a Japanese influencer holding Korean snacks. [SCREEN CAPTURE]

A Japanese social media influencer is facing backlash after accusing foreign tourists of littering in a popular Japanese tourist destination.

The influencer recently posted a photo on her X account showing a Korean snack wrapper discarded in Nara Park, a well-known site in Nara Prefecture where deer roam freely.

“Why do they even visit Japan?” she wrote. “Do they think it’s okay for animals to eat snacks as long as they’re happy themselves?

“Foreigners who do whatever they want should go home. I won’t forgive anyone who harasses the deer. Chocolate snacks are toxic to animals. Don’t throw them where deer might eat them.”

In another post, she described herself as a “samurai who picks up trash” and claimed that the increase in foreign visitors had led to more garbage from “various countries,” blaming tourists as the main culprits behind the litter.

Her post showing the Korean snack had been viewed over 3 million times as of Wednesday, with more than 900 comments.

Online reactions were divided.

One commenter wrote, “There are so many foreigners in Japan now that I don’t even feel like going to tourist spots. It doesn’t feel right that foreigners are leaving trash behind in our country,” expressing support for the influencer.

But most commenters disagreed.

"These are products also sold in Japan, so how is this multinational garbage?” one user wrote.

Another noted that littering has long been a problem in popular destinations, writing, “Kyoto was full of trash even before foreign tourists started coming in large numbers.”

Several commenters also criticized the influencer’s remarks as xenophobic.

“Would you forgive a Japanese person if they abused a deer?” one user asked. “Stop encouraging hate toward foreigners.”

Another shared a photo of litter on a street in Shinjuku, a busy district in Tokyo, and wrote, “So was this empty can thrown out by a Chinese person?” mocking the influencer’s assumption.

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
BY SHIN HYE-YEON [[email protected]]