Local officials in Japan’s popular Geisha district in Kyoto will shut off access to “paparazzi” tourists who harass and trouble the globally recognised Japanese women artists, starting April this year.
The historic Gion district’s local council has said it will now ban sightseers and tourists into the alleys and streets housing geisha and maiko (teenager trainee geisha) after facing years of complaints over growing buzz of photography.
I honestly thought it was a high class escort for nobles.
Edit: looked it up. Basically they’re dancers and entertainers who also flirt with men. But sex isn’t permitted at all so I wasn’t totally off.