Japanese temple criticized for charging entry fee only to foreigners

By Hoang Vu July 18, 2025 | 12:08 am PT

A crowd of tourists are seen at Kiyomizu-dera temple in Kyoto, western Japan, March 30, 2023. Photo by Reuters

A temple in southwestern Japan has come under fire for imposing an entry fee exclusively on foreign tourists.

Nanzoin Temple in Fukuoka Prefecture, famous for its 41-meter-long reclining Buddha statue, has been charging foreign visitors 300 yen (US$2.02), citing the need to address nuisance behavior, according to Kyodo News Agency.

Experts have called the policy "lacking in transparency."

At the temple's entrance, a sign reading "Visitors" in English directs foreigners to a reception window where they must pay the fee. However, individuals who can show proof of long-term residency in Japan for work or study are exempt, Mainichi reported.

The policy has sparked debate online, with some netizens on Reddit criticizing it as discriminatory.

Japan welcomed a record 21.5 million international tourists in the first half of the year, a 21% increase compared to the same period last year.