Society

Unlicensed lodgings remain listed on Airbnb after new law takes effect

Jun 22 (Japan Today) - Airbnb Inc said Thursday that it is still removing "thousands" of listings from its website for unlicensed private lodgings in Japan, as required under a new law that took effect last week to cope with a sharp increase in foreign visitors and a consequent shortage of hotel rooms.

The world's leading home-share operator said it has continued to delete unregistered lodgings after the government found illegal properties remain listed on the Airbnb website.

"If (the government) makes us aware of any listings with inaccurate registration details, we will remove them immediately," Airbnb said in a statement. "We are also working hard to remove listings that do not appear to have a legitimate registration number."

Before the new law went into effect last Friday, the company said it had deleted thousands of previously listed lodgings without permission to operate.

According to AirbDatabank, an online service monitoring the Japanese private lodging market, the number of Japanese listings on Airbnb decreased drastically from some 55,000 as of the end of May to 13,000 shortly before the law took effect.

On Thursday, the Japan Tourism Agency said it received a report from the city of Kyoto -- one of the most popular tourist destinations in Japan -- that at least 40 lodgings there listed on Airbnb on Friday had failed to register with the local government as required under the law.

Another nine municipalities have also found apparently unlicensed private lodgings still listed on the U.S. firm's website after the law took effect, prompting the governmental agency to ask the company to look into the matter.

"We can't deny some cases of typing or computer system errors (being responsible for the errant registrations), but it is also possible that some home renters used false registration numbers to apply for (Airbnb) listing," a tourism agency official said.

The new law authorizes private homes to be offered as accommodation to tourists only if the owners submit the necessary paperwork to prefectural governments or to authorities in designated major cities such as Kyoto.

Airbnb has been on alert against properties being improperly registered on its computer system. Home owners receive registration numbers consisting of the letter "M" and a nine-digit figure after their applications are accepted.

Source: ANNnewsCH

Do Bears Prefer Acorns or Berries?

Bear sightings across Japan have already climbed to nearly twice the level recorded during the same period last year, prompting entry bans in mountain areas behind Kyoto’s Ninna-ji Temple and the cancellation of hiking events in Kansai, while new research suggests that the key to reducing encounters may lie in understanding what bears eat in each region.

Copper Thieves Target Japanese Shrines

Copper roofing panels were stolen from several shrines in Hamamatsu, Shizuoka Prefecture, including a city-designated cultural property, in the latest case amid a nationwide surge in copper thefts targeting shrines and temples across Japan, where soaring metal prices have fueled crimes that leave historic religious buildings damaged, exposed to the elements, and facing repair costs of millions of yen.

1200-Year-Old Temple on Miyajima Reduced to Ashes

Flames broke out on the morning of May 20th on Miyajima Island in Hiroshima Prefecture, home to one of Japan's World Heritage sites, destroying Reikado Hall near the summit of Mount Misen.

From Bento Boxes to Garbage Bags, Rising Costs Hitting Daily Life Across Japan

Uncertainty surrounding the situation in the Middle East is beginning to affect daily life in Japan, as concerns over crude oil supplies spread to restaurants, cleaning services and even household garbage disposal systems across the Kansai region.

Tochigi Robbery-Murder Suspect’s Wife Posted Dance Videos on Social Media

A 25-year-old woman arrested as a suspected ringleader in a robbery-murder case in Tochigi Prefecture once posted cheerful dance videos on social media and was remembered by those who knew her as an energetic and outgoing young woman.

MEDIA CHANNELS

MORE Society NEWS

Garbage Burnoff Spreads to 3 Buildings in Okayama

A fire that broke out in Kagamino, Okayama Prefecture, shortly after noon on May 20th destroyed three buildings, including a home, after flames from open burning spread to dead leaves and then to nearby structures.

Gang Members Arrested After Opening Office Near Nursery

Six people, including a senior member of a group affiliated with the Sumiyoshi-kai crime syndicate's Kohei-ikka faction, have been arrested on suspicion of opening a gang office in a prohibited area near a nursery school in Tokyo's Itabashi Ward.

Six Police Officers Injured After Man Sprays Liquid at Station

A man who visited a police station in Hiratsuka, Kanagawa Prefecture, in the early hours of May 21st allegedly sprayed a transparent liquid inside the building, causing six police officers to complain of eye and throat pain and be taken to hospital with minor injuries.