DIRS.INFO The most relevant business & tech news

☆ The best Japanese cities to visit, according to someone who's traveled there 11 times — and Tokyo's not one of them
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-30 | by ( Maria Noyen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

Though often thought of as a natural second city to visit alongside Tokyo, Kyoto is Cheng's undisputed No. 1 Japanese city. The old city is lined with small walkable roads, has many temples, and boasts a riverbank lined with small houses and shops. Even though it is also a tourist hot spot, Cheng said Kyoto feels more serene than Tokyo. "It's just a lot calmer and peaceful," she said, adding that the city's qualities exemplify "Japanese culture."

Persons: Grace Cheng, Grace Cheng Cheng, Cheng, It's Organizations: Kyoto, UN Locations: Kyoto, Japan, Tokyo

☆ Bukchon Hanok Village: South Korea to set visitor curfew for historic district to crackdown on tourists
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-11 | by ( Heather Chen | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

Known for its picturesque and well-preserved traditional Korean houses called “hanok,” Bukchon Hanok Village is one of Seoul’s most popular tourist hot spots – attracting thousands of visitors every day. But tourists greatly outnumber residents and complaints about noise, littering and privacy issues in the vicinity have escalated over the years. Located in the Jongno district in downtown Seoul, Bukchon sits near other cultural landmarks like the Jongmyo royal ancestral shrine and the grand Gyeongbokgung and Changdeokgung palaces. In a bid to ease tensions and control crowds, district officials will start to restrict tourist access to the popular village from as early as October this year. Out-of-control tourists have been especially problematic in Kyoto, one of Japan’s most popular tourist cities, famed for its iconic Gion geisha district.

Persons: Rhee Soo, Lee Youn, ” Lee, Overtourism, Sindere, “, ”, Emma Hägg Organizations: South Korea CNN, CNN, Tourists Locations: Seoul, South Korea, throngs, Jongno, Bukchon, South Korea’s, Korea, Barcelona, Italy’s, Venice, Japan, Mount Fuji, Kyoto, Sweden, Swedish

☆ Shibuya City: Tokyo neighborhood to ban drinking in public places
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-03 | by ( Lilit Marcus | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

The measure, which is expected to take effect in October, will see drinking alcohol forbidden on streets or public places in Shibuya from 6 p.m. to 5 a.m. every day. Shibuya City, which is a self-governed district within Tokyo, can make its own local regulations. Last fall, Shibuya banned Halloween-related activities in the district, with alcohol cited as a main reason behind the prohibition. That included a ban on drinking alcohol outside of bars and restaurants. Local Gion residents have also taken some measures themselves, such as blocking off private alleys.

Persons: Ken Hasebe, Hasebe, overtourism, ” Organizations: CNN, Shibuya, overtourism, Local Locations: Shibuya, Japan, Shibuya City, Tokyo, Meiji, Kyoto

☆ Japanese store near Mount Fuji issues apology in response to overtourism
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-08 | by ( Lilit Marcus | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

Lawson’s, one of Japan’s largest convenience store chains, has an outpost in the small town of Fujikawaguchiko. Tourists have flooded into Fujikawaguchiko to take one specific picture – a shot of Mount Fuji behind a Lawson’s store, where the mountain’s classic elegance contrasts with the store’s modern neon signage. Although Lawson’s has not encouraged visitors to take pictures of their store, the company nevertheless issued a statement addressing the issue on May 5. Many of them headed to the same destinations, crowding Kyoto’s narrow streets and the walking trails of Mount Fuji. And Lawson’s is not the only Japanese tourist destination that has resorted to putting up signs warning visitors of bad behaviors.

Persons: Fuji –, Lawson’s, Lawson, –, overtourism, Fujikawaguchiko, Semans Organizations: CNN, Fuji, Mount Fuji, ”, Mount, UNESCO Locations: Fujikawaguchiko, Yamanashi prefecture, –, Japan, Mount, Yamanashi

☆ If you've always dreamed of wandering the alleys in the famous geisha district in Kyoto, your time might be running out
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-13 | by ( Marielle Descalsota | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Gion, a historic district in Kyoto, is set to bar tourists from entering its private streets from April. Gion is famed for its traditional teahouses where geisha work and entertain guests. AdvertisementGion, Japan's popular geisha district in Kyoto, will be barring tourists from entering certain alleys, the news agency AFP reported on Friday. The district council comprises several residents of Gion. While Gion's private streets will be closed, tourists will still be allowed to enter the main Hanamikoji Street, which is public, per AFP.

Persons: Gion, —, Isokazu Ota, Ota, It's, Kotaro Nagaski Organizations: Service, AFP, Asahi Shimbun Locations: Kyoto, Gion, Ota, Japan, Yamanashi, Fuji

☆ Mount Fuji introducing visitor cap and entry fee to prevent overcrowding
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-06 | by ( Lilit Marcus | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —Mount Fuji, a UNESCO World Heritage site and an icon of Japan, is putting new regulations in place for climbers amid concerns about overcrowding. “By strongly promoting comprehensive safety measures for climbing Mount Fuji, we will ensure that Mount Fuji, a treasure of the world, is passed on to future generations,” said Koutaro Nagasaki, governor of Yamanashi Prefecture. “In order to revive traditional mountain climbing from the foot of Mount Fuji, we will gain a detailed understanding of the Fuji-ko and Oshi culture that supported Mount Fuji worship. This 2023 photo shows a crowd of visitors beginning their Mount Fuji ascents. Mathiad Cena/AFP/Getty ImagesAccording to prefectural data, five million people hiked Mount Fuji in 2019, a rise of three million from 2012.

Persons: ”, Koutaro Nagasaki, Mathiad Cena, “ Overtourism, Masatake Izumi, Tomoyo Takahashi, Takahashi, Hanako Montgomery Organizations: CNN, Mount, UNESCO, Fuji, Mount Fuji, Heritage Fuji Division, CNN Travel Locations: Japan, Yamanashi, Yamanashi Prefecture, Kasai, Kyoto, Hatsukaichi, Hiroshima

☆ ‘Geisha paparazzi’ are back in Kyoto – and the city is ready to take action
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-29 | by ( Lilit Marcus | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

As a result, an unfortunate nickname has even been given to these tourists: “geisha paparazzi.”Foreign tourists have sometimes struggled to understand Japanese customs and etiquette. In 2015, Kyoto created pamphlets and paper handouts that used pictograms to illustrate travel “nuisance activities” like littering, using selfie sticks, smoking in prohibited areas, and taking photos of geisha and maiko. Plenty of rules, little enforcementToday, signs in three languages also explain that geisha photography is not allowed without a permit, and that violators could be charged up to ¥10,000 ($67). Most maiko and geisha (these words are both singular and plural in Japanese) use this road, making it the prime spot for “paparazzi” to gather. Still, Ota and other Gion residents are looking for ways to curb the “geisha paparazzi” issues.

Persons: women’s kimonos, Gion, Isokazu Ota, Kike Calvo, ”, Ota, maiko Organizations: CNN, Theatre Locations: Gion, Kyoto, women’s, Side, Japan, Ota, ”, Easter

☆ Japan's March visitors at post-COVID high, lured by cherry blossoms
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-19 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/4] Tourists prepare to take a picture under illuminated blooming cherry blossoms at Gion district in Kyoto, western Japan March 29, 2023. However, arrivals were still down 34% from March 2019, before pandemic travel curbs adopted from the following year. In March 2020, as the pandemic started to widen, Japan placed travel curbs on visitors from China and South Korea, its two largest inbound markets. Chinese visitors last month more than doubled to 75,700 from February, the tourism data showed. A full recovery in Chinese tourist numbers is likely to take time because of a shortage of flights and Beijing's remaining curbs on the destinations of group tours by citizens.

Search resuls for: "Gion"

8 mentions found