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To those considering moving to Japan, let me be honest with you.
Recently, Kyoto residents put up a sign in Gion: “No tourists allowed. Fine: ¥10,000.”
It wasn’t the first. Geisha chased through narrow streets, private homes entered without permission, trash left at sacred sites.
The quiet streets we’ve protected for centuries are losing their silence, one corner at a time.
If you cannot respect personal space, please don’t come.
If you cannot ask before entering, please don’t come.
If you cannot carry your trash home, please don’t come.
This is a sincere request from us.
If you come to Japan, you will be unhappy, and so will we.
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