

I highly recommend visiting Kyoto despite these news. The city is absolutely beautiful and well worth the tourist tax. I hadn’t experience any prejudice there as a tourist and the local generally like foreigners.
You can also avoid the tax with a day trip as Kyoto is right next to Osaka which is quite cheap.
The overtourism issue is mostly entirely a skill issue as it’s free income that can be controlled through tourist taxes like this one. So this tax is fundamentally a good thing.
Can’t say I’ve seen anything of sorts personally but I’m generally an average tourist. Loads of Chinese tourists as well that seem to be doing just fine.
I’ve heard of all sorts of stories about Japanese hate for tourists but Japan is huge and after visiting for years I’ve had only 1 discrimination experience.