Tokyo’s Shinjuku to ban more than half of vacation rentals
A man is illuminated as he looks up at a large neon sign in the Shinjuku district in Tokyo on March 30, 2026. (AFP photo)
Tokyo tourist hotspot Shinjuku will impose a ban on more than half of its holiday rentals including homes on Airbnb, an official said on Sept. 7, after a surge in complaints about visitors.
Known for its buzzing commercial and entertainment district, the ward hosts nearly 10 percent of Japan’s 42,000 short-term rentals.
But it also has a large residential population, who have become increasingly exasperated with tourists who fail to properly dispose of rubbish, smoke where they’re not supposed to, and make too much noise.
