According to the Associated Press and AFP news agency, Kyoto City recently announced that it will ban tourists from entering private alleys in the Gion district, famous for geisha streets, starting next month. Geisha, a symbolic part of Japanese culture, are trained and professional entertainers who wear traditional kimonos and perform several traditional art performances, including dancing and music, while wearing headdresses. In December last year, the Gion District Council asked Kyoto City to solve the tourist problem. The council is made up of residents and has previously filed complaints over noise and other issues. Complaints have been louder on streets where you can often see geisha and her trainee, Maiko.
The council said there have been cases where someone tore an expensive kimono of a young Maiko or put a cigarette butts into the collar, causing damage. They said they decided to take a hardline response. “We will put up a sign to inform tourists not to enter private property from April,” said Isokazu Otta, the council’s chairman. Hamanikoji, which is lined with traditional houses in the Gion district, is always crowded with tourists. However, when a geisha comes out from a narrow street that is only 1-2 meters wide, some tourists act like paparazzi, blocking the road to take pictures, Ota pointed out. In October 2019, the council also put up signs near the alley where Hanamikoji began, saying, “If you take pictures without permission in private land, you will be fined up to 10,000 yen.” In fact, although this measure has no legal effect, it was intended to inform residents that it could cause inconvenience. In Japan, complaints about tourists have increased rapidly in recent years. Some argued that a “double-price system” should be introduced, which allows foreigners to pay more than ordinary people. This is because tourists, who have surged due to the prolonged low yen, will further raise prices.The move to increase the cost burden on tourists is spreading across Japan. The Tokyo Metropolitan Government is discussing raising accommodation taxes, and Mount Fuji near Tokyo, which is feared to damage the environment, has decided to receive a toll of 2,000 yen from July.
The city of Urayasu, Chiba Prefecture, where Disney Resort is located, has also begun discussions on raising accommodation taxes with the aim of next year. Osaka, where the Osaka Expo will be held next year, plans to collect taxes on foreign tourists. Osaka Prefecture Governor Hirofumi Yoshimura made the announcement on the 6th, citing the prevention of overtourism (over-tourism pollution) caused by a surge in tourists. Osaka has already been taxing accommodations up to 300 yen per day since 2017. According to the Japanese Government Tourism Organization (JNTO) on the previous day, the number of foreign tourists visiting Japan reached 25.06 million last year. Korean tourists accounted for 25% (6.95 million) of the total. In particular, Koreans visited in January this year, the highest monthly number of 857,000. Taiwanese came in second with 492,300, followed by Chinese with 415,900.
SOPHIA KIM
US ASIA JOURNAL
