Problems with Minpaku Lodgings: Establish a System that Can Obtain Residents’ Understanding

Editorial

16:14 JST, October 23, 2025

There is no end to the problems surrounding minpaku private lodging services that rent houses and apartments to foreign tourists and others as accommodation facilities. It is crucial to resolve issues regarding the services and establish a system that enables smooth operations.

The Osaka municipal government intends to suspend accepting applications for opening minpaku facilities within the city based on the Law on National Strategic Special Zone.

Osaka City was certified as a special zone for minpaku facilities in 2016, and regulations on opening the facilities were relaxed. About 6,800 facilities, or more than 90% of all minpaku facilities in special zones nationwide, are concentrated in the city. Complaints to the city government about garbage and noise from guests surged to 399 cases in fiscal 2024, more than double the number in the previous fiscal year.

There have also been cases in which residents of apartments were pressured to move out due to the apartments being converted into minpaku facilities. The city government likely judged that the current situation could not be left unaddressed.

The minpaku system includes lodgings in special zones as well as those in other locations that are based on the Private Lodging Business Law. Minpaku facilities in special zones can operate throughout the year, while those operating under the Private Lodging Business Law are limited to 180 days per year, among other differences.

Complaints from residents have also been directed at minpaku facilities under the Private Lodging Business Law. It is necessary to identify the issues and make improvements.

Minpaku facilities are expected to meet the accommodation needs of visitors to Japan and also utilize vacant housing. Although users benefit from experiencing life in Japan, the system cannot function unless local residents understand its necessity and accept it.

If strangers constantly come and go at minpaku facilities, disrupting the area’s living environment, the residents’ anxieties and their distrust toward the minpaku system will only increase. Residents also might begin looking at foreigners harshly.

It is important for minpaku operators to first explain accommodation rules to users and have them abide by the rules. When opening facilities, operators must carefully explain their plans to local residents and thoroughly set up a dedicated section where users and residents can ask questions.

The Shinjuku Ward government in Tokyo, a ward in which a number of minpaku facilities operate under the Private Lodging Business Law, has ordered some operators to suspend operations. This action was taken because they neglected to submit periodic reports as legally required and did not comply with business improvement guidance. The ward government had received complaints from residents about the operators.

To protect residents’ lives, it is necessary to take strict measures against unscrupulous operators who disregard the rules.

The Toshima Ward government in Tokyo is considering limiting the operating period for minpaku facilities to summer and winter holidays and not allowing new facilities to open in residential-only areas and other locations where there are many cultural and educational institutions.

Hopefully, other municipalities with minpaku facilities will also reexamine whether these facilities are impacting the lives of residents.

“Dark minpaku facilities” that operate without being registered are also problematic. As the number of illegal minpaku facilities increases, opposition from residents will grow stronger. It is essential to take strong actions to monitor and crack down on such facilities.

(From The Yomiuri Shimbun, Oct. 23, 2025)