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As of April this year, authorities in Kyoto’s well-known Geisha neighborhood will be restricting access to tourists who engage in bothersome and intrusive behavior towards the highly acclaimed Japanese female performers.
The Gion district’s local council has announced a ban on sightseers and tourists from entering the alleys and streets where geisha and maiko (teenage trainee geisha) reside, due to numerous complaints about the increasing popularity of photography.
Gion is a popular destination for tourists, attracting thousands of visitors to Kyoto. Many come to capture photos of Japan’s renowned professional performers, easily recognized by their traditional kimonos and distinctive pale makeup.
According to Isokazu Ota, who serves as Gion’s representative secretary on the South Side District Council, CNN was informed that the narrow streets will be inaccessible to tourists starting next month due to the increasing nuisance caused by them.
According to the South China Morning Post, beginning in April, access to the alleys where restaurants and teahouses are located will be limited to geisha, their clients, and residents of the district.
In 2019, officials implemented a penalty for tourists who bother geishas. These skilled performers were being followed into residential roads in the area, having their pictures taken without permission, and facing unwanted physical contact from foreign visitors with their traditional clothing and ornate hairstyles.
Japanese traditional female dancers, maikos, and performers, geikos leave after attending the new year’s ceremony at the Gion Kobu Kaburenjo Theater in Kyoto
According to Mr. Ota, the issue remains ongoing as an influx of tourists disregards Japanese cultural customs and behavioral norms while visiting the country during the post-Covid-19 period.
“I believe that the international visitors who are anticipating the appearance of maiko in the photography-restricted zones of Gion are aware of the regulations, but are choosing to disregard them. It is challenging to convey our warnings to tourists at this stage,” he stated in an interview with CNN.
Prior to the pandemic, there were reports of individuals forcefully removing geisha’s hair accessories and using cigarette butts to hit them.
Peter Macintosh, a Canadian author and geisha culture expert based in Kyoto, expressed to SCMP his thoughts on the matter, stating, “The actions are irrational and utterly unbridled.”
Warnings against taking photos and the imposition of a significant ¥10,000 (£52) penalty have been ignored.
Travelers are politely reminded to first obtain permission before snapping a picture or taking a selfie with a geisha, and to restrict this activity to public thoroughfares.
The local authority states that this penalty cannot be implemented on Hanamikoji Street, the main road in the area, due to its lack of legal validity.
The local council and city government hope to protect geisha and maiko, as well as preserve Japanese art and its artists, by officially closing off the historically and culturally significant area of Kyoto.
The community was heavily affected by the pandemic in 2020, causing a decrease of 95% in their expenses due to the lockdown. Geisha had to abide by new regulations, such as not serving drinks to customers or making physical contact, and maintaining a distance of two meters from others.
Source: independent.co.uk
