A council charged with conserving the local townscape in the Gion Shimbashi area in Kyoto has installed new signboards at three locations in the district that combine information about local history with messages urging appropriate behavior by visitors.
The signs all feature different content. For example, the one near Tatsumi Bridge gives an explanation of the elegant "kinkakuji gaki" bamboo fences that are seen in the green spaces along the riverside. At the same time, it also warns visitors not to sit on the fences as it would be dangerous because they are not built for such purposes.
Similarly, another sign calls on visitors not to smoke in the district while explaining that the area was reduced to ruins in massive fires in 1788 and 1864.
"We didn't want to just list up what's prohibited," a council official said. "We hope visitors would get a proper understanding of the area and then enjoy strolling around here."
