Kyoto cracks down on snap-happy tourists
Kyoto’s hard-pressed residents have had enough of tourists behaving badly.
The city’s historic Gion neighbourhood, famed for its Geishas, has announced a selfie crackdown.
It has banned photography on private property which includes on the districts private streets and in homes.
Tourists caught snapping away could be fined JPY10,000 ($92).
City residents have become increasingly angry at tourists’ behaviour, especially the harassing of Geishas for a photo.
Taking their photos without permission has become the norm while some geishas have been chased down the street for selfies and in a few cases tourists reportedly entered private homes without permission.
Kyoyo has been struggling with tourist overcrowding for some time and has previously sought to educate visitors in being more respectful to Japanese culture.
The city published an English-language etiquette guide two years ago to stem anti-social behaviour with a list of rules to abide by when visiting the city.
These included not riding a bicycle while drunk and smoking in public areas.
TravelMole Editorial Team
Editor for TravelMole North America and Asia pacific regions. Ray is a highly experienced (15+ years) skilled journalist and editor predominantly in travel, hospitality and lifestyle working with a huge number of major market-leading brands. He has also cover in-depth news, interviews and features in general business, finance, tech and geopolitical issues for a select few major news outlets and publishers.
Vegas’s Billion-Dollar Secrets – What They Don’t Want Tourists to Know
Visit Florida’s New CEO Bryan Griffin Shares His Vision for State Tourism with Graham
Chicago’s Tourism Renaissance: Graham Interviews Kristin Reynolds of Choose Chicago
Graham Talks with Cassandra McCauley of MMGY NextFactor About the Latest Industry Research
Destination International’s Andreas Weissenborn: Research, Advocacy, and Destination Impact
Graham and Don Welsh Discuss the Success of Destinations International’s Annual Conference
Graham and CEO Andre Kiwitz on Ventura Travel’s UK Move and Recruitment for the Role
Brett Laiken and Graham Discuss Florida’s Tourism Momentum and Global Appeal
Graham and Elliot Ferguson on Positioning DC as a Cultural and Inclusive Global Destination
Graham Talks to Fraser Last About His England-to-Ireland Trek for Mental Health Awareness
Kathy Nelson Tells Graham About the Honour of Hosting the World Cup and Kansas City’s Future
Graham McKenzie on Sir Richie Richardson’s Dual Passion for Golf and His Homeland, Antigua
ADS PRO 
TAP Air Portugal to operate 29 flights due to strike on December 11
Qatar Airways offers flexible payment options for European travellers
Airbnb eyes a loyalty program but details remain under wraps
Air Mauritius reduces frequencies to Europe and Asia for the holiday season
Major rail disruptions around and in Berlin until early 2026