Kyoto streets preservation, Ponto-cho

Ponto-cho is one of the best known entertainment areas and one of the most visited tourist places in Kyoto. However, over the years, this tourist success led to a significant increase in the number of flashy billboards, flags and banners advertising the local restaurants and bars.

7 years ago, to tackle this situation, the Kyoto city government enacted strict regulations, banning the blinking lights and the rooftop signboards. Furthermore, according to an old custom called cho-shikimoku, the local residents imposed their own set of rules. Thus, the flags and the banners were also banned, the size of the signboards was limited and a set of adequate colors was established, all this contributing to the today's beautiful Ponto-cho, one of the best preserved traditional Japanese streets in Kyoto.