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Video length: 4 min
Japan: Kyoto geishas confronted with the sometimes inappropriate behavior of foreign tourists
In Kyoto, Japan, the geishas of the Gion district have to deal with the sometimes inappropriate behavior of foreign tourists. A district official proposes a radical solution: ban certain alleys to tourists.
Will certain areas of Kyoto (Japan) soon be closed to tourists? Many residents dream of it, like in the historic streets of Gion, crowded every day with visitors. Gion is the district of geishas, a term which translates into French as “women of the arts”. They are the object of all attention.
“Some days I’m followed to my apartment”
Seika is a geisha. Between her appointments, she has to face, not without apprehension, a crowd of curious people. Often, he comes across uncontrollable tourists. “Sometimes, I’m followed. Sometimes, I’m harassed by photographers. It happened that my kimono was pulled. Some days, I’m followed all the way to my apartment. It’s still a little scary”she testifies.
To protect the geishas as well as the very civilized inhabitants of this neighborhood, there are guards. They monitor the inappropriate behavior of strangers. Isokazu Ota, responsible for the southern district of Gion, has a radical solution: ban certain alleys to tourists. For the moment, this is an announcement effect. Some traders fear that these measures will have a negative impact.
