'Kyoto is not a theme park': Tourists to be banned from city's famous geisha district

Tourists are to be banned from parts of Japan's famous geisha district in Kyoto following complaints of "overtourism".

"Kyoto is not a theme park," said the local council amid discontent about over-zealous visitors with cameras hoping to snap a glimpse of the famous geishas.

Geishas are professional entertainers who are trained in various traditional arts including dance and music and are an iconic part of Japanese culture.

Visitors crowd the narrow, quaint streets of the area called Gion in Japan's ancient capital city, often following tour guides who show people around and lecture for long hours, according to local district official Isokazu Ota.

"We are going to put up signs in April that tell tourists to stay out of our private streets," he said.

A sign will say in both Japanese and English: "This is a private road, so you are not allowed to drive through it."

It is aimed mainly at pedestrians, not cars, as the Japanese wording refers to generically "passing through".

"There will be a fine of 10,000 yen," the sign adds, which is about £53.

Read more: Why 2024 could be the worst year ever for 'overtourism'

The district's public streets will remain open to tourists, so the area and the rest of Kyoto will still be teeming with visitors, both from Japan and around the world.

Be the first to get Breaking News

Install the Sky News app for free

Complaints about "overtourism" began years ago, but cooled somewhat when the COVID-19 pandemic brought numbers of visitors down.

Now, tourists are back with a frenzy after the long-awaited lifting of restrictions.