(Tokyo) Tourists will soon be barred from accessing the private alleys of Kyoto’s famous geisha district, an official in this city in western Japan said Thursday as it tries to combat the effects of post-pandemic overtourism.
Residents of the former Japanese imperial capital have long expressed their frustration with the behavior of certain tourists, particularly in the Gion district, which is home to tea houses where “geiko”, the local name for geishas, and their young apprentices the “maiko”.
Last December, the Gion local council asked the city of Kyoto to take action against behavior deemed undesirable, such as the harassment of geishas. “Gion is not an amusement park,” they said.
From April, the council will also ask tourists not to use private streets, Isokazu Ota, one of its officials, told AFP.
“We don’t want to do this, but we are desperate,” he added, specifying that signs would be installed to warn visitors.
Gion’s main street, Hanamikoji, which is public, will remain open to tourists.
PHOTO SARAH MONGEAU-BIRKETT, LA PRESSE ARCHIVES
According to Mr. Ota, groups of tourists sometimes behave “like paparazzi” when the geishas emerge from these narrow streets one or two meters wide.
He had also reported to Japanese media incidents such as a maiko’s kimono torn by tourists or a cigarette butt thrown into the collar of their clothes.
Contrary to popular belief, geishas are not prostitutes, but entertainment artists who entertain their clients with Japanese dances, musical performances and games.
Since the lifting of border restrictions put in place during the pandemic, Japan has seen an influx of foreign visitors, and sometimes taken measures against overtourism.
This summer, hikers taking the most popular route to climb Mount Fuji will have to pay an entrance fee of 12 euros, and the number of people will be limited for security reasons.