Desperately Seeking Quiet Kyoto
- Jun 7
- 4 min read
You may have already heard. Kyoto is full. Tourists have overwhelmed parts of the historic city. Overtourism, coupled with poor manners, has even led to the closure of some streets to non-residents and to security being stationed in popular areas to ensure rules are followed.
All that said, Kyoto is still a magical place to see. And as with anywhere you’d travel, it’s important to be respectful of the customs and the residents who call this special place home.
While it can be busy any time of year, it’s also possible to experience the city without being caught in a throng of tourists. This is how I found quiet moments in Kyoto and loved every minute of it.
Plan for Super Early or Late Visits
If you have any of the city’s top sights on your list (and you should), go as early or as late as possible. I took advantage of a later arrival in Kyoto by visiting Arashiyama and its bamboo forest when I got in. That’s one of those sights and neighborhoods that can be overrun with tourists. But by the time I arrived, crowds were on their way out, which gave me a chance not only to see the forest but also a nearby temple and to walk around the charming neighborhood. To take full advantage of the time of day in this area, I’d booked a dinner at a notable unagi restaurant. All they serve at Unagi Hirokawa is unagi, and it lived up to the hype.
Fushimi Inari-taisha, known for its 10,000 torii gates, was another top tourist site that was on my list. Having seen plenty of photos of wall-to-wall people walking the path through the bright red gates, my group and I arrived early. While there were already some people on the path, it cleared after about ten minutes of walking. This is one of those spots that’s technically open 24 hours a day, so avoiding peak hours should be easy. Also, once you walk further up the mountain, things thin out, and there are lots of side paths to explore with mini gates and even graves. Following this approach allowed me to connect to this place in a way I couldn’t have if I’d been stuck in a crowd. I also suggest taking a break at a viewpoint of the city. It’s located about thirty minutes before you reach the top and is worth the time to rest and reflect here.
Get Off the Beaten Path Even If You Have to Take Your Shoes Off
The Philosopher’s Path is another well-known attraction, but I didn’t encounter big crowds here. We visited on a weekday and popped into less-visited temples along the way to the path, like Honen-in Temple and Eikan-do. I appreciated the stillness at both and especially loved the view from the top of the hill at Eikan-do. As we walked along the path, I basked in the contrast between nature and the signs of local life with small roads, shops, and houses.
Kinkaku-ji, the famous golden temple, is another spot that’s often on must-visit lists, and it is beautiful. If you find yourself in this part of Kyoto, though, be sure to check out Ryoan-ji. It’s about a ten-minute walk from Kinkaku-ji to Ryoan-ji’s Zen garden. We visited in the late morning and found it quiet, with ample room to spread out and take in the scenery.
From egg sandos at 7/11 to a traditional kaiseki dinner, we had incredible meals in Kyoto. One of the quieter and more interesting experiences was at Sumibi Kushiyaki Torito. This yakitori has two locations, one closer to central Kyoto and the other a little further, in a residential area. We opted for the one in the more residential area and found incredible food at this spot, where no English was spoken around the small establishment.
After indulging in all sorts of chicken cuts at the yakitori, we walked a few minutes to a wine bar in the area, Ueru. When we opted for a wine bar, I’m not sure what I had in mind, but whatever it was was blown away when we found this very local spot that only seated eight people. When we arrived, the barman greeted us in Japanese and asked us to remove our shoes before he led us to four open seats. My Japanese classes paid off as I conversed through this exchange and even got an excellent wine recommendation. From a cozy seat at the end of the bar, I sipped on a lovely Bordeaux, in my socks as comfortable as if I were at home.
Experience Something New
Focusing mornings and evenings on the top sights left free time in the afternoon. What better way to fill those moments than with a pottery class? We opted for a Kintsugi class, where we repaired broken pottery with gold to bind the pieces together. It’s a Japanese art form known as wabi sabi, where beauty is found in imperfection. From a long wooden table, I sanded my broken edges before bringing them together with gold. I created something new that afternoon, something that became possibly even more beautiful than before.
On two nights after dinner, we found ourselves on empty streets in Gion. Streetlamps and red lanterns hanging outside small restaurants lit the way and reflected off the cobblestones. Amongst the historic architecture and silence, I was fully present as I walked. Kyoto is a place where things feel so intentional. Perhaps that’s one of the reasons overtourism has been so disruptive. I stayed quiet as I continued, being intentional with myself as I breathed the night in and felt the city wind down.
