Tourists to be banned from private alleys in Kyoto’s geisha district

TOKYO: Visitors will be banned from entering private alleys in Kyoto’s famous geisha district, a local representative said on Thursday ( Mar 7 ), as the ancient city tackles overtourism after the pandemic.

Kyoto residents have huge expressed frustration with tourists behaving terribly, especially in the city’s Gion district, home to teahouses where “geiko”- as geisha are directly known- and their youthful “maiko” apprentices, do.

In December, a Gion city council comprised of people urged Kyoto City to tackle the issue, saying their village “is not a topic area”.

One participant previously told Chinese media about an occasion of a maiko’s jacket being torn and another who had a cigarette butt put in her neck.

With the issue continued, the government decided to step up its answer.

” We did ask visitors to refrain from entering small secret roads in or after April”, Isokazu Ota, an senior member of the council, told AFP.

” We do n’t want to do this, but we’re desperate”, he said, adding that they will put up signs.

Gion’s major Hanamikoji Street, which is common, will be open to visitors.

Ota said parties of vacationers often “act like reporters” when geisha emerge from narrow sidewalks, which are just one or two feet wide.

In 2019, the Gion district council put up signs saying” no photography on private roads” warning of fines of up to ¥10, 000 ( US$ 67 ).

Despite popular misconceptions, kimonos are not prostitutes, but somewhat entertainers and raconteurs very skilled in traditional Asian dance, music instruments and games.

Tourism to Japan has been booming since pandemic- time borders restrictions were lifted, and other major destinations are even taking measures against overtourism.

This summer, climbers using the most common way to climb Mount Fuji may be charged US$ 13 each, with figures capped to relieve congestion and improve health.