Tourists In Kyoto Are Making Geishas' Lives Difficult kotaku.com

If you are visiting Kyoto, you probably want to take lots and lots of photos.
In Kyoto, that has lead to disheartening scenes like this:Groups of tourists chasing after geisha and maiko (geisha apprentices), walking in front of traffic or taking selfies with them sans permission.
The number of tourists in Gion seems to have spiked significantly in the past two or three years.
So officially sanctioned publicity photos like this, showing a maiko walking down Hanami Koji in Gion can ultimately cause confusion with tourists.
AdvertisementThere are also signs in Gion, the Kyoto nightlife district where geisha and maiko work, telling people not to bother them.