(Kyoto) The upcoming ban on access to the private alleys of Kyoto’s famous geisha district for tourists is rather well received in the former Japanese imperial capital, even if it may not be enough to deter everyone.
The local council of Gion, deploring that some visitors behave like paparazzi and believe they are in an “amusement park”, announced last week that tourists would no longer be welcome in the private streets of the district from april.
Since the mass return of tourists to Japan after the COVID-19 years, Kyoto has faced a resurgence of uncouth visitors who pester geishas for photos that almost instantly feed social networks.
Testimonies mention the cases of an apprentice geisha whose kimono was torn, or of another who found cigarette butts in her kimono collar.
Contrary to popular belief, geishas, locally called “geikos” (“women of art”), are not prostitutes, but entertainment artists entertaining their clients with traditional dances, music and games.
The fascination of these women has further increased abroad with the series Makanai, in the maiko kitchenreleased in early 2023 on Netflix and which takes place precisely in Gion.
Visiting Kyoto, Anna and Mark Van Diggenen, from the Netherlands, approve the decision of the Gion local council. “We must respect these women” and their privacy, Anna told AFP.
But for her husband, it’s not a few prohibition signs that will deter the most rude tourists: “You can establish rules, but it’s impossible to enforce them.”
“Behave!” »
PHOTO YUICHI YAMAZAKI, AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE
Since 2019, there has already been a ban on taking photos on private roads in Gion, under penalty of a fine of up to 10,000 yen ($91). Without it being enough.
At least, “it’s important to clarify what is allowed and what is not,” thinks Tetsuo Nishizawa, owner of a bar in the neighborhood.
Since 2019, there has already been a ban on taking photos on private roads in Gion, under penalty of a fine of up to 10,000 yen ($91). Without it being enough.
However, some visitors regret the upcoming ban on walking the streets of Gion, full of traditional charm with their old-style wooden buildings.
Jane Stafford, an Australian traveling with friends, told AFP that she was asked not to take photos of a geisha by members of her family.
“For me, it’s a unique heritage area that people want to enjoy, and we’d like to photograph the architecture,” she says. It’s a shame that people can’t enjoy it in small groups.”
Kyoto is not the only place in Japan taking more action against overtourism. Starting this summer, a daily quota of people will apply to take the most popular trail to climb the mythical Mount Fuji, near Tokyo, and an access fee of just over 2,000 yen ($18) was fixed.
As for the mayor of Osaka, the main metropolis in western Japan, he is considering imposing a tax on foreign tourists, in addition to the existing hotel tax.
And if spending your day in Kyoto dressed in a kimono is a nice tourist attraction, Doug Burckhard, member of a Facebook group Japan Travel Tips & Planning asks that behavior remains correct.
“I have been going to Japan for over 50 years, and as more people discover its charms, they become less and less accessible,” he laments. “So please behave!” »