Japanese City Passes Law Against Eating While Walking

Located about 90 minutes south of Tokyo, Kamakura is one of the most popular destinations for a day trip from the big city, with more than 20 million tourists visiting each year.

However, on March 22, Kamakura passed a law asking visitors not to eat while walking in places crowded with tourists. Citizens didn't like their clothes getting dirty when they walked past tourists holding food and were unhappy with garbage on the streets.

Many citizens had problems on Komachi Street, a narrow street full of souvenir shops, restaurants and food stalls between Kamakura Station and Tsurugaoka Hachimangu, the city's most important shrine. They also had problems between Hase Station and the city's famous 13-meter-tall Buddha statue.

The law came into effect on April 1, but it has no fines or other punishments for tourists or shops that break it.

Two days later, many tourists could still be seen holding ice cream and sweets on Komachi Street. Some visitors didn't know about the new law, while others said they didn't like it since they enjoyed eating as they walked. But Norikazu Takahashi, leader of the Komachi merchants' association, said he hopes visitors will be able to enjoy the street while having good manners.

The new law also asks tourists not to take photos on train tracks. The railroad crossing by Kamakura Koko Mae Station is popular for photos because it was often seen in the Slam Dunk manga and anime series.

A record 31 million tourists visited Japan in 2018, up from just 8 million in 2008. The government hopes to see 40 million tourists come in 2020, but some popular destinations say they're already having problems with too many visitors.

< Questions: 
1.Why did Kamakura introduce a law against eating while walking? 
2.What's the fine for breaking the new law? 
3.Why do many tourists take photos of the railroad crossing by Kamakura Koko Mae Station? 
4.If you were to write a manners guide for tourists visiting your city or town, what would you include in it? Please explain your answer. 
5.Is your city or town popular with tourists? Please explain your answer. 

Vocabulary: 
1.stall = a small table or shop where goods are sold 
2.merchant = a person who sells goods