‘Kyoto is now the seventh ring of hell’: Viral video shows how the Japanese hotspot has become the latest tourist destination struggling to cope with huge crowds

Shocking footage shows hordes of tourists lining an iconic street in Kyoto – raising concerns that the iconic Japanese destination is being overrun by visitors.

Hundreds of people, tied back to back, struggle to reach historic Sannenzaka Street in the city’s Higashiyama district.

Authorities were even forced to divert traffic through the narrow, 400-metre-long cobbled street, with one travel blogger describing Kyoto as the ‘seventh ring of hell now’.

The clip, which has been shared widely on social media, shows Kyoto is struggling to keep up with the number of tourists.

A French travel YouTuber shared the clip with the caption: ‘Kyoto, what hell it has become. How can you enjoy your visit under such circumstances?’

Johnny Waldman, who runs the travel blog Spoon and Tamago, also posted the video with the caption: “Unpopular opinion: Kyoto is the seventh ring of hell right now.”

Although Sannenzaka Street, which leads to the famous Kiyomizu-dera Temple, is no stranger to crowds, it seems particularly busy this season.

One person commented on the clip: “I feel lucky to have been there before the tourist boom.”

Another user shared a photo from 2008 when it was ‘a quiet side street’, but added that the area ‘looks terrible now’.

A third added: That’s insane, I’m so glad I went 8 years ago, absolutely no crowds.

‘Now I go into the mountains and see temples, just as beautiful with just a handful of Japanese tourists.’

It comes as popular destinations around the world are struggling to cope with the ever-increasing number of visitors.

Earlier this year, Bali demanded a ban on the construction of new hotels and nightclubs in tourist hotspots on the island.

Rowdy backpackers, heavy traffic and the conversion of rice fields into luxury villas have infuriated locals on the ‘Island of the Gods’.

The plan, which would affect four tourist hotspots, was formally requested by Bali’s provincial government in September.

Bali is Indonesia’s most popular island, attracting 3.5 million tourists between January and June this year alone.

Foreign arrivals have soared since reopening to tourism following the Covid-19 pandemic and there are now 541 hotels on the island, up from 507 in 2019.

Authorities were even forced to divert traffic through the narrow, 400-metre-long cobbled street, with one travel blogger describing Kyoto as the ‘seventh ring of hell now’.

However, its rising popularity has sparked an angry reaction among locals, who regularly take to social media to complain about traffic congestion, crime and overdevelopment.

Meanwhile, Spain faced a wave of protests against tourism this summer, with visitors in Barcelona even sprayed with water guns by demonstrators.

The mayor of the Catalan capital has also pledged to end short-term tourist rentals in the city within five years.

Mayor Jaume Collboni believes the move will make Barcelona more affordable for young people forced to leave due to rising rents.

And in Mallorca, locals started a movement to ‘reclaim the beaches’ from tourists, with demonstrations taking place throughout the summer.

A shocking video shows a woman sitting across a path leading to the popular Caló des Moro Bay as a local shouts at potential tourists: “Go, go, go!”

While Italy is reportedly considering introducing a tourist tax and Greece plans to crack down on cruise ship traffic.