Video captures tourists disrespecting resort's 'snow monsters': 'It's upsetting'

A TikTok account pointing out oddities in Japan highlighted the inappropriate behavior of many visitors to one of the country's incredible natural attractions.

Japanese Content (@japanese_content_) shared a video of the "snow monsters" at Zao Onsen — and the many people who refused to respect a simple rule governing the space.

@japanese_content_ Instant karma at the end😭🇯🇵 But seriously though, if you're travelling somewhere : behave! No matter the country, just follow the simple rules. 🗼Snow Monsters at Zao Onsen #japan #tourism #tourist #snowmonster #japanese ♬ son original - japanese-content🇯🇵

Zao Onsen is a famous hot spring area. It is particularly known for its snow monsters — evergreen trees encased and frozen in blown snow.

In the video, the area with the trees is roped off, with a sign in both English and Japanese warning tourists to "KEEP OUT" and elaborating that there is "No entry outside the ropes." 

In case the instructions were unclear, there is also a universal pictogram of a hand held up in a "stop" gesture.

Depending on your experience with tourists, you may be surprised or unsurprised to learn that the video then shows dozens of visitors in winter gear wandering among the trees, far past the sign and a rope boundary.

The video caption mentions "instant karma" in reference to the last shot: a tourist returning from the trees and trying to step over the rope trips and falls in the snow.

For most of the visitors who ignored the clear warning to stay away, however, the only consequences will be to the attraction itself.

A delicate, short-lived phenomenon such as this one can easily be damaged by even well-intentioned tourists who aren't careful enough.

One commenter pointed out how nonsensical this behavior was.

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"I used to live in Yamagata, and it's upsetting that tourists don't respect its rules!!!" they said. "And I think there's an area where [you] can be close to the snow monsters… I went on a guided tour before, and they allowed us to go closer to them."

In other words, there was no reason to cross this particular boundary.

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