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Angry Signs Opposing AirBnB-Style Rentals in Tokyo Raise Questions for Tourists

Unseen Japan
4 min readJan 19, 2025

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Why one neighborhood in Tokyo is littered with signs telling AirBnB and other short-term vacation renters from abroad to get out.

Picture: Ushico / PIXTA(ピクスタ)

As tourism to Japan continues its upward trajectory, more people are staying at private vacation rentals brokered by sites like AirBnB. That’s causing tension with residents, at least one of whom decided to take matters into their own hands in Tokyo recently.

As reported by Asahi Shimbun and FNN, someone has been putting up a slew of signs in the neighborhood — written in Japanese, English, and Chinese — opposing foreigners renting apartments in one building as short-term vacation rentals. One English sign reads, “We are deadset against your staying at this vacation rental.”

Local residents interviewed by reporters say they regularly deal with loud noises coming from the apartments of the three-story building late at night. Security cameras have also caught travelers smoking outside and throwing their butts on the ground. (Smoking in public outside of designated areas is

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Unseen Japan
Unseen Japan

Written by Unseen Japan

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