The size of the crowds that gather in Gion's lanes belies the culture of exclusivity that traditionally surrounds the ritual-steeped world of geisha, known as geiko in Kyoto.
Refrain from disturbing the maiko (also geisha) while in Kyoto.credit: iStock
Access to the world of geiko, who are accomplished masters of traditional art forms, from dance to music, often requires introductions via contacts, with select clients allowed to attend exclusive café events.
The plans to limit access to Gion's trails follow several previous initiatives aimed at preventing tourists from misbehaving in the area, which appear to have had limited impact.
Five years ago, the Gion District Council posted signs saying “No Photography on Private Roads,” warning of fines of up to 10,000 yen ($102) for taking photos without consent.
The issue has become more important since Japan reopened its borders in October 2022 after two and a half years of closure due to Covid, paving the way for the return of tourism.
In one incident, an American tourist reportedly threw US$10,000 at a geisha along with the key to his hotel room.
A maiko (apprentice geisha) in the Gion district of Kyoto, Japan. credit: John Arnold Pictures Ltd/Alamy Pictures
More commonly, tourists block the paths of performers, who are sometimes mistaken for sex workers in foreign cultures, and demand to take selfies.
Peter McIntosh, an expert on geisha culture, told The New York Times that they sometimes enter private property to take photos. South China Morning Newspaper. “It's out of control,” he added.
A lack of cultural awareness is a major factor in causing friction between tourists and locals in Kyoto, according to James Mundy, of InsideJapan Tours, a tour company.
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“Kyoto was definitely seeing signs of overtourism before the pandemic, but it became a bigger problem after the pandemic, with demand for travel to Japan increasing,” he said. Telegraph.
“However, overtourism is not just about large crowds, it is also about a lack of cultural awareness that is a big part of the problem here – large tour groups and DIY travelers are keen to snap a photo of the iconic geisha on Japan's traditional streets.” Kyoto But With no understanding of culture and etiquette.
Kyoto is not the only tourist center in Japan highlighting concerns about overtourism.
Officials in Yamanashi Prefecture announced this week that starting this summer, hikers wanting to climb Mount Fuji, Japan's most famous peak, will be charged 2,000 yen each, with numbers limited in order to improve safety and reduce crowding.
In the late 1920s, there were about 80,000 geisha, but today only 1,000 remain.
Teenagers were unlikely to adhere to the lengthy training in music, dance, and etiquette required by eighteenth-century traditions.
The pandemic has prompted some geishas to get creative by offering Zoom calls or launching crowdfunding sites.
A typical geisha performance gives guests an hours-long party, including dancing and games, along with a great meal.
In the 1970s, Lisa Dalby, an American anthropologist, became the first Westerner to be accepted into the geisha community, after studying her doctoral model.
Her skill at playing the shamisen – a plucked stringed instrument – was the key to her entry into the secluded community.
Dalby was invited to join a group in Kyoto, where she gained a reputation as a “blue-eyed geisha” and became a household name in the country.
“They saw that I was serious about my studies, and they felt that I would not be able to truly understand their lives unless I experienced it myself,” she said.
Telegraph, London
