Kyoto (author: Bernard Gagnon)
Kyoto, Japan’s town and ancient capital of the country, is a favorite destination for many tourists; thanks to its many temples, Zen gardens, geishas and maiko, food and culture totally foreign to westerners it intrigues, fascinates and drives the tourists to visit it.
But tired of the rudeness of visitors, the city decided to put them in line and learn to respect their ways and styles of life through an infographic (created by TripAdvisor Japan) with all the main notions to visit Kyoto (but also other Japanese cities) politely.
Basic rules that apply to every place in the world, but sometimes need to be remembered: as smoking outside designated areas, do not bring your own food or drink in the restaurant, do not take pictures too close to the train tracks.
What you can do is collected in this guide entitled “Akimahen”, which means “do not”, “forbidden”, in dialect, with many emoticons, from disappointed to angry, to better understand what you can and you can not do.
Be kind to gheishas and maiko if you want to photograph them, asking permission first or at most photographing from a distance; not to jump the queue, cancel your reservation at the restaurant at the last minute. And also, do not ride a bike drunk, to be quiet in the temples and sacred places and remove glasses and hat when visiting them. Small steps to avoid that Japanese people, usually very polite and quiet, go on a rampage.
Prefettura di Kyoto, Giappone