Japan is cracking down on short-term private lodgings such as those operated by Airbnb by allowing local governments to ban them in residential areas amid complaints of lodgers partying at night, ignoring trash rules and leaving cigarette butts on the streets.
The tourism agency is not introducing a blanket nationwide ban on minpaku, a type of private lodging service. The agency is, however, issuing a nonbinding recommendation to local governments later this month, under which each municipality can amend their ordinances to implement stricter regulations on such services if they wish to do so.
“We are considering including provisions that would allow local municipalities to restrict minpaku operations through local ordinances in cases where short-term rentals are expected to expand and the increase in number of guests could undermine the quiet residential living conditions and educational environment nearby,” said Japan Tourism Agency chief Shigeki Murata at a regular news conference held on Wednesday.
Various cities around the world have cracked down on private lodgings. Barcelona is attempting to eradicate all short-stay apartments by 2028. In New York City, such lodging is only permitted if the owner is present on-site.
In Japan, private operators are currently allowed to rent out their homes for up to 180 days per year under the 2018 Private Lodging Business Act. The legislation was partially fueled by the government’s push to increase inbound tourism and prepare for the potential lack of accommodation ahead of global events such as the Tokyo Olympics held in 2021 and the 2025 Osaka Expo.
But with the revision, municipalities could lower the maximum days permitted from 180 down to zero and effectively ban the service in their region — something that the government had been against previously.
“We had viewed the so-called ‘zero-day regulation’ as undesirable,” added the tourism agency’s Murata. “However, as private lodging operations expanded, various issues have emerged.”
As of last month, there were 63,658 private lodgings registered in Japan, up from 2,210 in June 2018 when the law took effect.
Issues surrounding private lodging have received increasing attention in recent years, with complaints regarding issues such as noise pollution and improper waste disposal in various communities.
For example, in Tokyo’s Shinjuku Ward — the area with the highest number of private lodging properties in the country — there had been over 900 complaints regarding ill behavior by those staying at private lodgings during fiscal 2025, up from just 70 four years before.
“Residential neighborhoods are, first and foremost, places where people want to live quietly and with peace of mind,” said Toru Azuma, a professor at Rikkyo University with expertise in tourism. “They’re not commercial areas open to anyone and everyone, so they’re not…
