by Donald Wood
Last updated: 12:10 AM ET, Tue October 29, 2019
Local authorities in Kyoto, Japan, are taking a stand against tourists who take photos in private areas by instituting fines for those who break the new rule.
According to Japan Today, local residents and shop owners from the Gion District of Japan passed the new legislation on October 25 that forbids photography on private roads and asking geisha and maiko for unsolicited pictures.
Officials in the region will use video surveillance to catch those who violate the new rules, with those found in the act receiving a fine of 10,000 yen (about $90). It was unclear whether the police, members of the Gion District committee or another group would enforce the regulations.
Residents of the area have started putting up bulletins, passing out leaflets and asking tourists visiting Kyoto to be aware of the change. The city has worked in the past to improve the actions of visitors, but the efforts have been mostly unsuccessful.
Locals support the new legislation, but there are concerns that visitors will simply view the fine as a fee worth paying to snap exclusive photos. The locals warn that authorities must enforce the rules if they want real change to occur.
"I mean, if they don't enforce the fine, then people are just gonna ignore it," one local told Japan Today. "Wait a minute. If the fine is only 10,000 yen, then won't there be tourists who just see it as a fee to pay to get whatever photos they want?"
Kyoto isn't the only city working to curb unruly tourists, as officials in Venice announced earlier this month that a new tax on day-trippers would range from $3.30 to $11 per person, per day, with the exact totals being determined closer to the implementation date of July 1, 2020.
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