(ECNS) -- A Japanese official said Chinese tourists are not a "particularly unruly" group among the range of international visitors to the country, Beijing-based newspaper Global Times reported.
The official from Kyoto's tourism department said there are uncivilized tourists from every country and while the number of Chinese tourists is very large, they do not stand out for bad behavior despite many media reports.
In recent years, Chinese tourists at home and abroad have frequently raised eyebrows for improper behavior including spitting, defacement of statues and jumping queues, prompting the nation's authorities to call for tourists to mind their manners when abroad.
In the latest scandal, a tourist suspected to be from China jumped into a spring to get water at Kiyomizudera Temple in Kyoto, a UNESCO world heritage site and one of the most venerated temples in Japan.
With relaxed visa requirements and a weaker yen, the number of Chinese tourists to Japan is increasing rapidly. Kyoto ranks as the third most-popular destination among Chinese tourists to the country following Tokyo and Osaka, the report added.
