‘Bogan’ Aussie outbreak at world’s most polite country

The most polite society in the world has suddenly become the new epicentre of a bogan outbreak – and it’s time Aussies show some respect.

OPINION

It’s a sad fact that the world’s most charming places become victims of that very charm.

These must-see destinations are doomed to magnetise more tourists than they can manage, buckling under the human hordes.

Such hordes can test the patience of even the most hospitable locals. Because when you attract that many tourists, you’re bound to attract the kind who take the piss out of your hospitality.

That could explain why Japan – our planet’s most polite society – has become the latest epicentre of an Aussie bogan outbreak.

It all started when former Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi launched a 2003 drive to boost tourism numbers in the recession-prone nation. In 2000, Japan pulled in just 4 million tourists, despite its population of nearly 127 million.

Recently, the marriage of the country’s low inflation with the pandemic has made it far cheaper for people spending Aussie dollars there that it was pre-pandemic.

This means more Aussies can afford to go there than ever before. This affordability, coupled with the country’s proximity, safety and fun for the whole fam status has truly unlocked the floodgates.

Aussie tourists seen on the streets in Kuta, Bali. Picture: Nathan Edwards

Between January and September 2024, visitors from Australia to Japan totalled a record 637,300, an increase of 42 per cent over the same period for the previous record in 2019, according to the Japan National Tourism Organisation (JNTO). It’s also a 74 per cent increase from 2023.

This year, the country recorded 33 million overseas tourists, higher than the 31.9 million record set throughout the entire 2019. And this figure shows no sign of slowing down.

Australian visitors also rank as one of the top markets for total length of stay in Japan. It’s no mystery that we can’t get enough of the place. The question is: has Japan gotten enough of us?

Aussies behaving badly

Despite being a nation legendary for its hospitality and stoicism, Japanese authorities were forced to call out the inbound army of Aussie barbarians earlier this month, albeit in the form of a thickly-veiled, polite plea: to consider heading beyond the hotspots.

A local man in a wheelchair was allegedly robbed. Picture: Supplied

That’s a civil way of alluding to the hell we’ve been letting loose on their landmarks in recent months.

Take the Queensland private schoolboys who fumbled their 2024 Tokyo rugby tour when they were sent home for allegedly robbing the wheelchair of a local disabled man.

Or the Sydney sheepshearer who failed to pull the wool over the eyes of police when he was questioned for stalking the streets without a shirt.

Weeks later, the same bloke was back on the outrage track, crashing Tokyo’s strict-female only Metro carriage to harass commuters for TikTok.

The woman-only Metro carriage. Pictures: TikTok

That’s not to mention the yet to be identified recent reports of tourists punching on for parking (and selfie) spots outside sacred sites, or other selfie-seekers chasing geisha down ancient alleyways.

While it’s unconfirmed if these culprits are Aussies, the flip-flops fit.

Perhaps that’s due to a creeping sense of deja vu. Looking at these reports is like reflecting on a big night with a pounding hangover. Because none of it would look out of place on the streets of our bogan holiday-ex, Bali.

Remember the land of Aussies belligerent on Bintang, exploiting local culture? Did we learn nothing there? And don’t get it twisted, our bushpig behaviour is no more excusable there, or anywhere else. But there’s something uniquely sad about acting like such drongos in a place as welcoming as Japan.

There’s something uniquely sad about acting like such drongos in a place as welcoming as Japan. Picture: iStock

We’re talking about a society deeply rooted in the tradition of “omotenashi”, or embracing tourists. It’s at the heart of what makes Japan feel so warm, from the second you touch down on its tarmac.

You feel it in the attentive service of its hotels, restaurants or shops, in the white-gloved taxi drivers with their beaded, comfortable seat covers. It’s in the deep bows that greet you everywhere you go. These people take obvious pride in catering to you, and they’re opposed to saying no, in the interest of harmony.

But just because you can get away with it, doesn’t mean you should.

Make no mistake, this isn’t about race or class (not the status kind, at least). I’d never imply wealthy Australians have any more right to be there than anyone else. Because bogans can come from every corner of our country, and plenty are cashed up to the veneers.

The Aussies was ‘pressed by police’ in Japan. Picture: TikTok

This is about showing respect in a society shaped by it. It’s about not turning Japan into another Bali. It’s about preservation.

This phenomenon of overtourism has now hit Japanese shores. Fuelled by social media and the strange urge to be seen in front of iconic landmarks you probably don’t understand, the Land of the Rising Sun is now flooded with a new, bad breed of Aussie. No longer are they drawn as appreciators of Japan’s unique culture and intricate tradition. This breed are drawn there to make TikToks and skol Suntory Strongs. For poor Japan, it’s a matter of quantity over quality.

For a country that professes its love of Japan, Aussies have a funny way of showing it.

If those professions are true, then we’re loving the place to death. At this rate, we’ll spook the rest of the world’s tourists far away. Along with the locals. All that will remain will be mulletted men doing shoeys under Shinto shrines.

What’s at stake is the survival of an ancient, fascinating yet fragile culture.

Let’s not stuff it for everyone.

Nelson Groom is a freelance writer. His Tokyo thriller The Auction is coming soon. Learn more on Nelson’s Instagram. Got a travel tale to share? Email Nelson here.