KYOTO, JAPAN: Residents and owners of restaurants in the Gion Kobu entertainment district of Kyoto have begun patrolling the area to protect geiko and maiko—apprentice geiko—from being harassed by tourists.

A message on the Kyoto municipal government’s English-language web site asks foreign tourists not to follow geiko, as geisha are referred to in Kyoto, in the streets, but reports of such incidents are common.

An 18-year-old maiko said, “(People) approach me without saying a word and suddenly stand beside me to have photographs taken, so I get taken by surprise.” She said she has heard of another maiko having her sleeve tugged by a tourist.

Rikiya Yamamoto, 72, a Japanese restaurant owner, said he has seen on several occasions maiko wearing okobo (platform-style wooden sandals) narrowly avoid falling over while trying to evade pesky tourists.

“I hope tourists will understand geiko and maiko sometimes have to hurry to teahouses to serve customers,” he said.

Kyoto received 49.44 million tourists in 2007, more than in any previous year, with 920,000 foreign tourists staying at least one night in the city, also a record high.

The popularity of geiko and maiko is resurgent due to their profession having been featured in many recent TV programmes and films. (The Yomiuri Shimbun/ AsiaNews)