i’m in favour of japan’s tourist ban

welcome to introspection ft. harsehaj! ⭐️ i’m harsehaj, a 19 y/o always up to something in social good x tech.

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onto today’s topic: i’m in favour of japan’s tourist ban 🚫

japan recently banned tourists from entering specific alleys and areas of the traditional geisha district. the geisha are traditional female japanese performance artists and entertainers. they’re a highly respected community in japan and are not supposed to be approached for photos or conversation.

the latter has been defied far too many times in recent years by disrespectful tourists, with geisha being chased and harassed for photos. even after so many countries, it still baffles how insensitive some tourists are to the local culture and community. 😬

before even stepping foot in a new country, i’ll make it a point to research the culture, etiquette, social norms, and basic greetings. if i’m being allowed to enjoy another community’s culture, the bare minimum is at least respecting it. crazy how some people can’t even do that.

with this recent ban, tourists will not be allowed to enter deep into these neighbourhoods, and i completely support this decision. in fact, i’m surprised it wasn’t done earlier. there are an absurd amount of tourists in japan, specifically in tokyo and kyoto, and i’ve witnessed the culture being disrespected numerous times with my own eyes. japanese citizens are known to be kind and gracious, but there’s a limit to one’s tolerance. 📉

the government did the right thing by enforcing this new ban. hopefully this sends a message to tourists that we aren’t entitled to whatever we want. fortunately, i’ve been staying in less touristy areas of japan and it has been an absolute pleasure connecting with locals and learning from small-business owners.

i’m writing this from a tea farm in shizuoka right now! there’s so much more to japan than those two big cities i mentioned, the countryside is stunning.

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