A railway crossing in Japan’s Kamakura City famous for appearing in the Slam Dunk anime is facing “toilet problems,” as reported by Japanese media. After becoming a “pilgrimage site” for anime fans from around the world a few years ago, the crossing has seen a huge influx of visitors and, at times, nuisance behavior. However, following a decision to close public restrooms in the train station nearest to the crossing, locals have started complaining of increased cases of open urination and defecation by tourists, Friday Digital reports.
For context, the Kamakura Kōkōmae railway station is a small, unmanned station that was never envisioned to become a tourist attraction or accommodate large crowds of visitors. The location exploded in popularity following the premiere of The First Slam Dunk movie in 2022, which saw huge commercial success across Asia and broke box-office records in China.
Due to the station’s fragile infrastructure (essentially no rest areas, minimal toilet facilities) there had allegedly already been instances of tourists relieving themselves openly in surrounding areas, but the issue recently started growing more severe. At the end of April, Kamakura Kōkōmae station’s officials closed the only nearby public restroom, citing poor manners from some tourists and frequent blockages due to foreign objects being flushed down toilets.
A nearby hospital is reportedly also being affected by the issue. The hospital had been allowing tourists to use its toilet facilities on occasion, but it recently started denying entry, likewise citing poor manners from users. However, this has led to a serious public defecation problem, with hospital staff discovering feces “in various spots” on the premises. They view it as a public health hazard and have asked the city to take countermeasures.
Government officials have inspected the site, and discussions on possible solutions are reportedly in motion.
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