Tourist bad behavior prompts Kyoto’s Geisha neighborhood to ban photography
Oct 28, 2019
Dunja Đuđić Kalinin
Dunja Djudjic is a multi-talented artist based in Novi Sad, Serbia. With 15 years of experience as a photographer, she specializes in capturing the beauty of nature, travel, concerts, and fine art. In addition to her photography, Dunja also expresses her creativity through writing, embroidery, and jewelry making.
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Tourism in Japan has increased dramatically over the past few years. And as we all know, not all tourists are respectful towards the places they visit. Kyoto’s historic Gion district has been struggling with bad tourist behavior. As a result, Kyoto has banned photography from all of Gion’s private streets and properties.
With its traditional stone pavements, restaurants and tea houses, the Gion district is one of the major tourist attractions in Kyoto. It’s also home to many geishas and their apprentices, maikos. According to NHK, some tourists have reportedly entered private property without permission. What’s more, some of them were taking photos of geishas and maikos without permission, and some were even reported pulling at their kimonos.
As a result of disrespectful tourist behavior, an association of residents and shop owners in the Gion district imposed the ban on photography. It’s effective in all private alleys near Hanamikoji street, and it came into effect on Friday, 25 October.
The association chief, Mimiko Takayasu, said that “the ban has been imposed to preserve Gion’s traditional atmosphere.” Those who disobey the newly established rule will have to pay a 10,000 yen fine, which is roughly $100 USD. However, as CNN notes, it’s not clear how the bans and fines will be imposed.
Back in 2017, Japan issued an etiquette guide for tourists. One would say that not doing things listed in it is common sense… But apparently, for some people, it isn’t. I guess that some tourists also don’t find it reasonable to stay out of the private property and be polite to geishas and maikos, and it resulted in the photography ban.
Kyoto’s Gion district isn’t the only neighborhood that banned photography (or at least tried to). Residents of Notting Hill are begging tourists to stop taking selfies at their doorsteps, as well as people living in Rue Crémieux in Paris. Thanks to one couple’s pretty tacky wedding photo (NSFW link), the Greek island of Rhodes even banned all foreign weddings. Finally, inappropriate behavior in sacred or historic places can even send you to jail in some countries.
In conclusion – learn about the country you’re visiting before you go there. And once you arrive, be kind, be respectful, and don’t do anything you wouldn’t like others to do to you or when they visit your neighborhood. It’s that simple. If we all just respected each other, we wouldn’t need photography bans and fines in the first place.
[via CNN Travel]
Dunja Đuđić Kalinin
Dunja Djudjic is a multi-talented artist based in Novi Sad, Serbia. With 15 years of experience as a photographer, she specializes in capturing the beauty of nature, travel, concerts, and fine art. In addition to her photography, Dunja also expresses her creativity through writing, embroidery, and jewelry making.
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11 responses to “Tourist bad behavior prompts Kyoto’s Geisha neighborhood to ban photography”
Good to hear.
What does walking into peoples houses and pulling at their clothes have to do with photography?
To clarify, gion’s private residence streets run right off the main road (which is still ok to photograph and retains its historic look. The private streets look more like alleys in comparison, and the walkways leading on to private property look not that different from ryokan entrances. I’m not saying it’s ok to trespass, but if someone arrived in Japan three days prior and did no research, it can be ready to mistaken one for the other and walk up to someone’s doorstep. The pulling on clothes and harassing Maiko thing, that’s your Western exoticism at work. Everything is for you to consume, for you to our on Instagram, no matter how disrespectful ? maybe they’re hoping the ban will reduce raising and harassment, though I know there were even cases of people chasing Maiko for photos
Also I think there’s a neighborhood in the UK (???) Which had the same problem; people were walking up to the doorsteps of houses for photos, and residents got really ticked off.
People just suck all over. Not all Americans are bad.
Basia Kowalska also a small community in one of our fjords have the same problem. Tourists that think all is created and open just for them. Manners and respect just went off as they set off in the big cruise ships.
Yeah last time I was in Gion I saw entire crowds of tourists chasing down Maiko, blocking roads just to get a picture. It’s nuts.
Lucky I managed to get some photos in before the ban ? Gion’s one of my favourite places in Kyoto
Was randomly thinking the other day what the etiquette was for photographing geisha in Japan. This is not it.
I doubt a private group can impose fines. Not that I’m condoning bad behavior, but vigilante justice isn’t right either.
Appears to be limited to private venues. What’s differrent about a bouncer slapping down a camera happy bozo at certain kinds of American joints where pretty women are on service.
Sadly this is what happens when “everyone is a photographer”.