Over the past few years a combination of overspending and lack of tax revenue has put the city of Kyoto in a precarious financial situation, made worse by the lack of domestic and international tourism to the city during the pandemic.

The Japan Times' senior national correspondent, Eric Johnston, joins us from Osaka to explain Kyoto's problems, and what the city needs to do to get itself out its predicament. 

Kyoto is facing bankruptcy. What happens now? (Eric Johnston, The Japan Times)

Kyoto's reconstruction plan calls for big spending cuts (Eric Johnston, The Japan Times)

Kyoto without tourists: How the ancient capital looks without its crowds (Oscar Boyd, The Japan Times)

Eric Johnston: Articles

Oscar Boyd: Twitter | Articles | Instagram

Subscribe to the show and sign up to the Deep Dive mailing list to be notified when new episodes come out. Get in touch with us at [email protected].

Support the show! Rate us, review us and share this episode with a friend if you’ve enjoyed it. Follow us on Twitter, and give us feedback.

This episode of Deep Dive may be supported by advertising based on your location. Advertising is sourced by Audioboom and is not affiliated with The Japan Times.