A screenshot from Tokusawa-en's social media post shows a trash bag with Korean labeling found at the site (@tokusawaen_official) A bag of trash bearing Korean labels was found illegally dumped near a popular mountain lodge in Japan, prompting criticism on social media and renewed concerns about littering by tourists.On Sunday, Tokusawa-en, a popular lodge in Kamikochi, said on its social media account that a large portion of illegally dumped trash found near the area bore Korean labels. Kamikochi, one of Japan’s best-known mountain destinations, is located in Matsumoto, Nagano Prefecture.The lodge posted a photo of a 20-liter waste bag from Ansan, Gyeonggi Province, South Korea, filled with unsorted trash, including paper, plastic, cans and bottles, and food waste such as meat scraps, kimchi and ramyeon.In South Korea, residents are required to dispose of waste in government-designated bags specific to their municipality. The bag’s regional label indicates it was likely brought into Japan by a Korean tourist.“Most of the trash we found was mixed with food waste inside a general trash bag that had Korean labels. It’s disheartening to have to clean this up every time,” the post said. “We plan to share this message with visitors from other countries as well. Please follow the rules.”The incident comes amid a sharp rise in Korean tourists visiting Japan. According to the Japan National Tourism Organization, a total of 42,683,600 foreign tourists visited Japan last year, with South Korea ranking first by nationality at 9,459,600 visitors.Tokusawa-en is a mountain lodge that provides accommodation and environmental information to hikers in the Kamikochi area, and regularly uses its official social media to promote environmental protection and visitor etiquette. A screenshot shows a morning view of the Tokusawa hiking area (@tokusawaen_official)