Hopefully this is okay for this subreddit. I visited Kyoto last spring, and with the exception of a couple places (base of Fushimi inari, Higashiyama main streets), I didn’t find anywhere to be very crowded at all. Many places like the Philosopher’s path and Nanzenji temple had practically nobody there, and I didn’t have to wait in line for a single restaurant.
Was this a one-off occurrence, or is it truly only a handful of places that are overcrowded with tourists?
Just some random thoughts – am interested to hear people’s opinions, especially residents of Kyoto!
by Bleuowl12
30 comments
I’ve lived here for almost 2 years and I’ve only found myself shoulder to shoulder one time. The trains can get pretty bad on big holidays and high school graduation and stuff. But generally, Kyoto isn’t near as bad as Tokyo or Osaka.
Steer clear of the mega attractions and Kyoto is awesome…
Yes, in peak travel season, the tourist spots get very crowded, as well as Kyoto Station and city buses. However, outside of these travel related areas, it’s not like it’s crowded.
Note that last spring was only the first since reopening after covid. It was crowded, but not like it used to be. This spring is much worse.
Last spring means say March April 2023?
Keep in mind that Covid protocols were still active in Japan until April 1 (for schools) and the end of golden week for the country as a whole. Including some covid testing or proof of vaccination for entry into the country.
So last spring would have been a bit down vs “normal”.
In 2024 we are back to what they like to call “over-tourism”.
Yes – it is indeed crowded.
https://preview.redd.it/1vsh4418d0pc1.png?width=1080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=378f2ed88d9fbadf2bbada8a25674b320cc64e00
Absolutely crowded especially the must-see landmarks. 2015 was way better than what it is now.
I visited in May 2020 and it wasn’t overcrowded at all
I wonder why
I went in February this year.
I found that the most crowded areas by far were the same that you mentioned – first half of Fushimi Inari walk and the main street of Higashiyama leading up to Kiyomizu-dera – they were jam-packed and a bit of an ordeal to be in.
However, almost everywhere else outside of these 2 areas was very quiet and peaceful indeed. I would put that down to the fact I was outside peak season (Philosopher’s path was more or less empty but I regret going there a bit because it’s pretty bleak and dull during winter).
i think only the touristy spots get overcrowded with tourists. i visited in fall of 2023, which is also a peak season in kyoto, and went to the philosopher’s path and nanzenji temple, and to my surprised they were not crowded at all. visited again in jan 2024 and it was the same deal.
i did a fair bit of walking too, like 25,000+ steps a day, so i saw a good amount of kyoto and most places were not busy.
There’s ‘tourist Kyoto’ and then there’s the ‘Kyoto where people live/go about their business.’
I’ve been here ten years, and never felt crowded.
Honestly, I think Kyoto is still a lot of fun. Sure if you get out of the station in Arashiyama, it feels definitely overcrowded. But 5-10 minutes off from the main road and suddenly it is super quiet and it is very fun to explore. And I think this can be applied to all the other popular spots.
Apparently the majority of tourists just do the main route stuff and then they stop caring?
As others have said, touristy areas are crowded, the rest not so much. Last year tourism was low due to covid but now it’s returning.
Other crowded areas include the bus I need to take to work and back home which is packed with tourists thinking it’s a good idea to stuff 4 bigass suitcases for 5 stops instead of taking a cab that’d cost them ~300yen more.
My work is down the street from kinkakuji.
It’s super crowded…
Until you walk just down the street and then it’s all empty again.
So the things that attract tourists are bringing in a lot of people. Everywhere else is still college town vibe.
I’ve been there three times, outside of the cherry blossom blooming, and I didn’t find it very busy. Many places, including the Philosopher’s Path, were quite empty and peaceful.
Im here right now, and if you don’t get to the attractions by 8am, you will be in a sea of people come around 10-11am. Lots and lots of tourists.
I was in Kyoto for 10 days (left a week ago) and it’s not crowded when compared to Tourist Tokyo.
Trains definitely feel less crowded than TKO.
Nishiki Market area was the only place I felt crowded at all when walking around. Mind you, we hit the typical touristy spots early in the AM, so that helped.
Not just Kyoto everywhere you go its overcrowded. Most Japanese ppl are sick of it
I just went there a few weeks ago. Insanely packed. Went to a few shrines
Downtown yes it is, but as a prefecture no.
It’s crowded. Enjoy only hearing Chinese
When I went there it felt like the buses and the well-known tourist spots were **very** crowded but there were plenty of places that were fine. The smaller shrines and temples were humbler, but a nice change of pace. There were places where I saw locals but not many tourists. There are so many places to visit in Kyoto that with a bit of research you can find plenty of sites that aren’t overly crowded.
I’m pretty sure you mean “tourist Kyoto”, right? Because tourists will go to “must-see” attractions, not Kyoto Research Park or Keio D2.
Im in Kyoto right now, except for the most popular touristspots I don’t think its a crowded city at all, most streets and neighborhoods are just as calm as the midsized Swedish city I live in.
Overall the whole vibe in Kyoto is much more chill than Tokyo, it kind of reminds me of the difference between Berlin and Munich.
Yes, every day you see so many tourists everywhere.
I lived in Kyoto 10 years ago and I was horrified when I went back to visit in 2019 (right before covid hit). Arashiyama used to be one of my favorite places to stroll around, but when I went back there it was almost impossible to get anywhere. Every sidewalk was completely packed full of people and I ended up getting out of there much sooner than I had planned, because I couldn’t stand how crowded it was. It was a very sad experience.
Depends on where you go. Avoid main buses to main areas. Surprising how many places you can get rail to.
Anything involving a bit of a walk is quieter.
I live in Kyoto Prefecture. Generally I don’t find Kyoto to be too crowded aside from Kyomizudera and Ginkakuji, but the busses can get horrendously crowded. Getting the bus from Kyoto station to the Kawaramachi is claustrophobic af. The busses are too small though in my opinion ;(
I’m a tourist in Kyoto right now, and I feel like a see a greater tourist-to-local ratio compared to where I stayed in Akihabara Tokyo. The central train station is much more chaotic too.
Having heard ‘horror stories’, I was pleasantly surprised by the crowd levels this February (2024). The only unpleasantly crowded areas were Sannenzaka/Ninenzaka (but it was the same when I visited in 2013…), the lower bits of Fushimi Inari, and Tenryu-ji + adjacent areas (but further parts of Arashiyama were empty). Nishiki market was very busy too, but you kind of expect such a market to be bustling at all times.
Kyoto City, tourist hot spots and tourists. Kyoto Prefecture, not that noticeable minus the tourist hot spots. I’m often the only foreigner that residents see.