Japanese Tourist Site Bans Coin Tossing Tradition After Years of Damage to Ecosystem

A diver, surnamed Sakamoto, who has been voluntarily removing the money for years, told Japanese media outlet Fuji News Network that some piles are as high as one meter.

A Japanese tourist site has been plagued by visitors throwing coins into a sacred pond, despite a ban on the practice and the threat of jail time.

The Oshino Hakkai tourist site, which is known for its eight clear freshwater ponds, has been battling the problem for years.

A diver surnamed Sakamoto, who has been voluntarily removing the money for years, told Fuji News Network that some piles are as high as one metre.

After the coins are thrown into the water they mix with the mud at the bottom of the pond, and it is extremely difficult to clear them out, Sakamoto said.

The tourist site bans coin tossing because the metals are believed to be harmful to the ecosystem. The number of plants in the water have reduced as a result of years of the tradition.

Under Japan’s Cultural Properties Protection Act, people who throw coins into Oshino Hakkai can face a jail term of up to five years or a fine of up to a million yen (US$6,500).

Fuji News Network recorded five groups of tourists in two hours tossing coins into one of the ponds.

One tourist said they did not know it was not allowed, and did it after seeing coins in the pond, to “wish for good luck”.

Staff at the tourist site also noticed more 500-yen (US$3) coins being thrown this year, as the Japanese yen weakened and people did not want to diminish the strength of their wishes.

The site was looking for ways, other than erecting more signs, to stop the behaviour while not disturbing the beautiful scenery.

It is not the first time Japanese sites have reportedly been bothered by the thoughtless behaviour of tourists.

In May, Yamanashi prefecture had to install a large black screen on the roadside to block the view of Mount Fuji after tourists kept gathering for photos in front of a Lawson convenience store with the mountain as a backdrop and disrupting the lives of residents.

Local media outlets later discovered small holes had been poked through the black screen, allegedly by tourists.

Last year, a Buddhist temple called Chosenji in Japan’s Saitama prefecture in greater Tokyo was reported to have set up a special “Bodhisattva for coins”.

Tourists have been invited to place their good luck coins on the base of the statue rather than throw them into the pond and disturb the marine creatures and their habitats.