Kyoto seeks to guard geishas from tourist 'paparazzi'

In this picture taken on March 10, 2024, women in Kimono pose for photographs at Kiyomizu-dera Temple in Kyoto. - AFP

KYOTO (AFP): Kyoto is cracking down after locals complained that Instagram-obsessed tourist "paparazzi" are harassing the Japanese city's famous, immaculately dressed geisha.

Real-life geisha, or "geiko" ("women of art") as they are known locally, work for a living -- as they have for centuries -- in teahouses in Kyoto's picturesque Gion district where they perform traditional Japanese dance, music and games.