Kyoto is one of the most important tourist destinations in Japan, especially the Gion neighborhood, the habitual residence of the geishas and maiko, their apprentices. The influx of foreign visitors, which is already approaching pre-pandemic levels, is generating various problems in a city that largely relies on tourism. One of these drawbacks is what the inhabitants of this district call the geisha or maiko paparazzi. Tourists who chase these women, go into private alleys or get too close to homes, establishments or other private spaces with the aim of photographing or recording them.
One of the attractions of Gion is watching the geishas in its streets as they go to or return from work, dressed in their kimonos, decorations and makeup.
In 2015, Kyoto already published pamphlets and brochures to illustrate activities that were annoying to travelers, such as littering, using selfie sticks, smoking in prohibited areas and, especially, taking photographs of geishas and maiko, without their consent.
But it didn’t help much and things got to the point that, in 2019, there were already reports of visitors pulling on the kimonos of these women, chasing them with cameras and smartphones, removing the ornaments they wear in their hair and even They threw away their cigarette butts. That year, Gion began posting signs and notices prohibiting photography, warning that violators would face a – modest – fine that currently amounts to just over 61 euros.
The south of Gion “does not have much income derived from tourism”, since unlike other areas of Kyoto it does not have shops, gift and souvenir shops or restaurants. “We are not looking to attract so much tourism, so if they behave like that, it is a nuisance,” said Isokazu Ota, head of the Gion South District Council.
Given the lack of effectiveness of the measures adopted so far, the local council of Gion is thinking about going a little further, and plans that, starting next April, visitors will be prohibited from entering certain private streets and alleys, so that the geishas and the residents of the neighborhood have a little peace and quiet.
The problem is that the geishas usually pass through Gion’s main street, Hanamikoji, which cannot be subject to the prohibition on access or photography, since it is a public street, and in fact it has become the place favorite of the paparazzi to stalk their victims and photograph them from afar, secretly and without asking their permission. “We cannot tell them not to walk or take photos on the public streets of the neighborhood, but we do want to ask them to respect private spaces,” Ota added.
For this reason, another of the measures that the council is studying is to force all foreign tourists to enter the neighborhood accompanied by a local guide who educates them on how they should behave.
