A STUNNED couple in one of Britain’s busiest tourist destinations came home to find a Japanese family sitting down to a picnic in their lounge.
The family from the Far East were among hundreds of thousands of visitors who flock to beautiful Bibury in the Cotswolds every year.
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The town, famous for it swans and chocolate box homes dating back to the 15th century, has become such a magnet for tourist that the local council is considering a ban on coaches.
Local are fed up with up to a dozen giant coaches at a time clogging up the narrow streets and the constant procession of camera waving holiday maker.
But for retired freight agent Brian, 83, the final straw for him was when he and his wife returned to their cottage in Arlington Row to find a Japanese family sitting in their armchairs and sofa tucking into a picnic in their living room.
Like many in the low-crime town, they had left their front door open when they left their home to run an errand.
The tourists had duly let themselves in and settled down to a giant spread inside the property, which was built in the 1400s.
Brian said: “I did not know this at the time, but evidently it is customary in Japan that if you leave your front door open, it’s seen as an invitation for others to enter and enjoy your hospitality.
“Luckily they brought their own picnic and didn’t snaffle the contents of our fridge.
“I couldn’t believe my eyes when I walked through the front door and saw them all sat there stuffing their faces.
“I asked them what an earth they were doing and they said they presumed it was ok for them to come in.
“Then they explained how these tradition traditions work in Japan.
“We had a bit of a laugh about it and they were very apologetic.
“They packed up their picnic baskets and left pretty quickly after that.
“Luckily we all saw the funny side.”
Brian added: “I know I’m not the only person around here that this has happened too.
“A neighbour had a group eating a picnic in her back garden while she was out.
“Quite a few people here have now got so fed up with these intrusions that they now put notices up in Japanese and Chinese informing foreign visitors they are not allowed onto – or into – their properties, even if the front door is open.”
It is believed the Japanese are both obsessed and fascinated with Bibury because the country’s former Emperor Hirohito made a trip to the town in the 1920s as a young prince and stayed there for several days during his European tour.
A photograph he took of the beauty spot hangs in a Tokyo museum.
As a result, many Japanese families now make the trip to the Cotswolds town as a pilgrimage in honour of their former leader.
When Sunonline journalists visited Bibury this week, more than half of the many visitors flocking to the town on a sunny spring day were from Japan.
One Japanese visitor, Asada Yusuke, 65, told us: “It is a great honour for us to visit Bibury and walk where our great emperor once trod.
“Until now, we have only seen images, but to be here is wonderful.
“Photos I saw back home do not even come close to how beautiful Bibury is in real life.
“Our tour guide told us that some of the local residents are unhappy about the congestion that tourism creates here and although I do respect their feelings, I also feel it would be a terrible shame if there were restrictions on tourism because I honestly believe everybody in the world should see this place.
“It ought to be one of the Wonders of the World.”
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Bibury local Tony, 66, worked for most of his adult life in the town’s famous Swan pub and hotel and said the current level of tourism is “unsustainable”.
He said: “In recent years, tourist numbers have gone through the roof and it is now having a massive impact on life for us locals.
“We can’t go anywhere in the car because the roads are clogged up and if we’re mad enough to battle out way through the traffic to get out, when we get back, there’s nowhere to park.
“Some days, even walking down the street can be difficult because the tourists are everywhere, waving their cameras around and huddling in groups for a photo.
“To be honest, it’s become a nightmare.
“You should have been here in the 1970s because there were hardly any visitors then, but we still had all this beauty around us that we could enjoy in peace.
“I don’t know what the answer is because the businesses here need the tourists and that creates jobs for us locals.
“I’ve heard about the suggestion to limit the number of coaches, or even ban them, and I think that could be a good idea, but the downside might be that instead of having a coach with 50 people on board, we’ll get another 25 or 30 cars turning up.
I fear that whatever we try and do, the tourists will find a way of getting here. It is out of control.”
Malaysian tourists Sally Chow, 26, her mother Wendy and sisters Shevy and Eelen, said they feel “privileged” to be able to visit the Cotswold town.
Sally, who works in marketing in her home city of Kuala Lumpur, said: “I’ve always wanted to come here ever since I watched a travel blogger on YouTube featuring his trip to Bibury.
“It just looked so majestic and beautiful.
“We love the buildings here because we don’t have anything like this back home.
“It is entirely different and I love everything about Bibury.
“For me, this place is paradise.”
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