How Crowded is Kyoto Now? ⛩ 

The biggest tip I have for Kyoto is to go earlier in the morning to tourist spots and visit larger open spaces like parks in the afternoon and then wait until night time before going to any other tourist spots

I just came back from Japan and my trip was fun! I used to travel to Japan every year until 2020 and I am glad I can go again to enjoy the amazing Christmas vibe in Tokyo, the temples in Kyoto, the new year eve in Osaka, skiing in Niigata, shopping with better purchasing power, onsen, etc.... Yes, it was busy, line up here and there... but I am still very grateful I can visit Japan again and happy to see they have the business back, I really don't mind the crowd at all and have nothing to complain about ...

Still worth another visit to this beautiful city.

Seeing the heron in Kyoto takes me back. I love herons and seeing them always provides encouragement, so seeing one in your video was an added bonus. 😊 The last time I was in Kyoto, I was ill and overwhelmed. I did manage to snap a few blurry photos. It wasn’t until years later that I realized that I had photographed a heron. I hope to return to Japan this year. Thank you so much for all that you do to provide Japan in the interim, and I hope that have a wonderful start to the new year!

I went to Kyoto during covid right before Golden Week when the borders were closed and there were hardly any people there and they were mostly all Japanese. Got to see Fushimi Inari shrine with virtually zero people and I really enjoyed it. I know I probably won’t get to experience that type of solitude there ever again so I’m grateful I got to go there.

A Tokidoki Traveller video is just the salve my battered soul needed on a Saturday afternoon!

1:23 "It isn't that busy" Future tourists: "Oh we will see about that..."

i went to kyoto before the pandemic. 2019. crowds of tourist was a lot but i remember enjoying it. I only had a day to explore Kyoto which wasn't much. hopefully i could go to Japan again soon! thank you for your videos! it brings so many memories of these places I've been to and so many other places that we can go to in the future!

Thanks for the vid. Looking forward to your latest adventures. Always fun and interesting. Keep up the good work, Emma babe!

WHAT?! The BIG attraction of the Heian temple IS the beautiful and spacious garden with the famous bridge over the lake. I have been there preCovid peak time and not busy. Well worth $6.😊

Very nice exploring with you today. Good way to experience the world outside!

I got to experience Kyoto in 2021 and 2022 (prior to reopening) and it was truly once in a lifetime experience and like you, I fell in love. OMG the crowd looks CRAZY now!!!

I still can't get over how damn aesthetic Kyoto is

Thanks for sharing! Really enjoyed the music in this video

can't wait to go back to japan

Emma, I’ve been following you for a while and it’s awesome to see you thriving. Wishing you the best, always! Love from California. ✨

So nice to see you thriving. Brava to another delightful post.

Great video! Thanks for sharing ❤

I went there in 2018 and it was very populated but still incredibly enjoyable. If you can survive Shinjuku station without freaking out you can survive anywhere. Highly recommend Kyoto.

Just booked our Japan trip for Nov 2023 and realized we will be in Kyoto over the weekend. This video gave me hope and fear at the same time. 😂 Debating about telling my hubby (my 3rd time in Japan and his 1st) "Sorry bud, no super famous tourist spots for you!"

What an awesome surprise this morning! Tokidoki content!!! Let’s goooooo!!!

hi Emma

Hey, Emma! Your content always brings me so much joy ❤ 😊

I went to Kyoto in Jan 2020 and it was pretty packed in all the touristy spots during the morning and the afternoon. I ended up getting to Fushimi Inari at around 3pm, I climbed up to about halfway where there's a good place to see the sunset. It was pretty packed but not too bad. Ended up doing the climb to the top after the sun had gone down (there was plenty of lighting on the path) and it was almost empty! Definitely recommend going there later in the day

Great video. Nice vibes.

I enjoyed the new style edit 😁 the graphics and text fit your vibe.

I was in Kyoto for about a month and in my experience, it wasn’t too bad. Everything was pretty chill and accessible. It was during coming of age day, New Years, all of that! The only crowded touristy place I was at was probably Yasaka Jinja. It was a little hard to walk in that huge crowd.

Was hoping to finally do my Japan trip for autumn 2023 but the beginning of this year kind of sucked and made me less confident that I’d be able to do it. Your video has hyped me up to work harder and make it happen. Thank you for all of your content and sharing your love of Japan with us 😊

Thank you Emma for the lovely video!! I love watching your videos and look forward to each one that comes out!! Have a good day!!!!!!!!!!!

Thank you for another amazing video Ema. That line was crazy though

Love this and I agree, it has been so busy. I was in Kansai area and checked out Inari shrine and it was crazy busy. But during October it was definitely more doable.

I went to Kyoto in November 2019 and it wasn't bad at all. Not deserted, but a good vibe of people. We were careful to plan our Kyoto days on non-weekend, non-holiday days. Visited Fushimi Inari shrine at sunset and basically had the place to ourselves with the best views at that time of day. We didn't bother with some of the over-rated shrines. Other highlights were the monkey park and the philosopher's trail, very serene and not many people around. Public transit was always busy, everywhere we went in Japan.

I’m going to Kyoto in the beginning of February so thank you for that video ! I am quite anxious when there’s a lot of people around but I guess now I’ll just have to prepare myself mentally so I can still have a good time 😅 I hope I’ll find the kind of dango you had omg I want to taste it so bad

I'll be in Japan for 2 weeks from mid March to early April. Starting in Tokyo and working down to Kumamoto. Def stopping by Kyoto on the way. Thank you for the update!

Maybe because I’m from NYC, It never occurred to me that Kyoto was crowded.

I managed to spend a weekend in Kyoto on a business trip a few months before they opened back up to tourists. I now realise how blessed i was for that experience!

Went there recently and even though it was hard to take pictures with little crowds but, it was still a great experience! Travelling to Japan feels better when it's hustling and bustling, at least for me :)

I live in Fukushima and I spent this winter holiday in Kansai and Chugoku and I found that Kyoto was so so much more bearable if you wake up early to do everything! I climbed Fushimi Inari shrine at around 7am and there was barely anyone there! I think I bumped into under 50 people during the whole hike!! On the way down there were hundreds of people waiting to climb the mountain, it was crazy!!! Getting lockers is also so much easier in the morning too! Public transport can also be a nightmare in Kyoto because the infrastructure isn't built for thousands and thousands of tourists so make sure to get to areas which are more far-out such as the Bamboo Forest nice and early! If you're confident with Japanese and you're using an IC card to travel around, I also recommend using google maps to find local bus routes to tourist spots rather than just using the tourist-loop buses! I got on a few local buses which residents use to get around and found that they were pretty empty during the day compared to the queues for the loop buses!

This is a perfectly timed video, I just got to Kyoto today!

I was at that vegan burger shop in 2019 and I'm sooooo happy they survived covid and are still open thanks for showing ♥️♥️

I am in Kyoto right now!! Loving it so far.

Coming to Japan in like 4 weeks so glad to see it's not like, rammed yet. Thanks for the heads up! That sweet looks delish. Also laughed at 'brolly' as a fellow Australian.

We were there in 2019 pre covid seeing post covid footage is just mind blowing

Thanks for showing beautiful Nanzenji, brings back some good memories 🙏

I went to Kyoto last year in October, literally the day Japan opened back up to foreign tourists. It wasn't crowded from foreigners but we did happen to go to some spots at the same time as some big groups of middle and high school students on their school field trips.

I'm bringing the fam from Tassie in April!! First trip back since '09! Going to Kyoto so this is really timely, thank you! I hope to find that dessert place :D We are making sure to avoid theme parks and popular tourist destinations on weekends tooo :)

We went in Kyoto, at the very shrine your friend visited, in April 2015, and while it was crowded, we were able to get pictures where no too many people where in frame. I guess we were lucky!

In November when the leaves are changing, do not go on the weekend! You may not get a taxi if you want one as they are all reserved. Found that out as we were trying to leaving the town, from the taxi driver that we were able to get us back to Kyoto station.

Thanks for the video. Well, I guess I went in the best time possible when they opened up. Because All my photos- Im only one in them pretty much))) in videos too. Working on my Kyoto video right now as well

All the touristy spots in Kyoto are cool and are great to see at least once. But like you said, there are so many amazing places in Kyoto that most tourists just don't bother to go to. Even during peak tourism in Kyoto Dec 2019, we visited some absolutely stunning temples around arashiyama and in most instances, had the entire temples to ourselves. Not a single tourist. Thanks for sharing what it's like now. Heading back over in May. Can't wait to see what it's like then. :)

When I went to Kyoto in 2015 and 2017 it was so nice! Sure there were crowds but it wasn't too overwhelming for me. In 2018 I was so excited to show my family my favorite places, but in just a year and a half it had gotten so much worse! Tofukuji was one of my favorite spots, but they changed the route where you come in and exit, which confused me a lot, and it was so crowded. We tried to go to Fushimi Inari Taisha during the daytime, but noped out. Went there a day or so later, during night time (around 7-8 pm) and there was barely anyone around. In daytime the trains around the area were packed and the heating was on full blast so saw quite a few ambulances. I think it was only in Kyoto that I felt very anxious and claustrophobic, other cities and regions - even Tokyo - weren't bad at all. My anxiety has only gotten worse since the pandemic so I'm not sure I want to visit Japan any time soon, although I really do miss it a lot. Maybe outside tourist season.

yeah, its packed with tourist now since the border is open. I think I was able to enjoy when there isn't that many tourist during November. Its nice when its not packed with huge number of people. Seeing the video makes me miss Kyoto a lot.

Hi Emma! Love your content

I was there around January 7th and it was busy at some spots at certain times. But i decided to stay a couple of nights and in the evening time it was a lot less crowded. This day also turned out to be the first day the Maiko and geisha are going back to work and they visit all the tea houses to wish them a happy new year. I won't say it was crawling with them but I've seen so many during the day and night time which got me some really nice videos and pictures. Also Gion is beautiful at night. As I said the big tourist spots like the temple with all the red Tori gates was absolutely crowded but visit the castle or imperial palace and it was pretty quiet.

Oh it's like traveling up the Bruce to the Sunny Coast during the Christmas holidays ARGH.😄

I will be there in March and am SOOOO excited!

amazing video again from my favorite right there picture horse. Joking aside, idk why but Japan is aesthetic in any way, so crazy. I have social phobia, the amount of people it's kinda problematic, but It would be cool to visit japan one day.

Just got back from Kyoto while staying 5 nights and stayed in a Ryokan a large block south of Yasaka shrine. The street with the covered walkways looked just like in the video so not that crowded. Since we were near the Yasaka and the small streets, we saw it mostly empty at 7am in the morning, most empty in the evening, sort of crowded during the afternoon but mostly empty after finishing dinner. We took taxis to and from the Ryokan from the train station and also to the bamboo forest because we wanted to get there early. After leaving the bamboo forest and the actor's estate garden, it was getting crowded going to the see the monkeys. We took trains back from the bamboo forest, subway to Fushimi Inari, Kyoto Imperial Palace, bus to the Golden Palace so we like using their public transit. People around Hokan-ji Temple was as shown in the video. Hokan-ji Temple was open one time we were there so we got to go into the temple and go up to the second floor. We did a private tour that morning and she said that was the first time she saw that temple open. Our last day was March 1st so it is probably way more crowded because of the cherry blossoms now.

It's crazy to see how crowded Kyoto is again now! On one hand it takes away from the sights, but it's also great to see that so many people are visiting Japan again! The yen can finally recover 😅

Was just in kyoto last week, around sunset and of course since the shops were all starting to close, there weren’t as many people. While some areas were still busy-ish, a lot of the side streets were completely empty and made for a really cool atmosphere! I didn’t mind shops being closed as I had gotten to experience many other shopping districts in other areas prior. Was able to wander around and still make it in time for ramen before closing!

I wasn't in Japan during the pandemic, but I experienced something similar because the itinerary of both my trips to Japan were similar... and the first happened back in 2007, while the second in 2018, both during hanami. It's just amazing how much explosive tourism changed Kyoto, and then Japan in general. Popular tourist spots in Kyoto weren't empty by any means, but you know, back in 2007 it was mostly Japanese tourists - it was busy, but you could walk around, and things were fairly clean and organized. In 2018 it was a whole different deal. Some spots were packed full, shoulder to shoulder packed, with police shouting with loudspeakers to keep moving, and you could see a lot of garbage here and there. There were a few places we just gave up going to because of how packed they were... it seemed to the point of being plain unsafe, and our group would get separated and lost. One of them was kiyomizudera... first trip it was busy, but we went up, stopped midway to drink some amazake, and got to the temple and saw the views up top no problem, just waiting a bit for people taking photos to free some space. In 2018 it seemed impossible even to approach the stairs. Long lines even to start climbing, there was just no way. I was honestly a bit aware about how much tourism grew there, but I didn't think it'd be this much. We also had to stick to main tourist spots because we were a large group (same family members made both trips), most of them are at retirement age, and we had a few with mobility issues, so I couldn't just recommend go prancing around in the inaka... xD It had to be places with resting stops, somewhat prepared for people with disabilities, and somewhat close either to where we were staying, or to transport hubs should we need or want to go back. I still enjoyed the trip plenty, but back in 2007 it was just... something else, on another level. Anyways, back to the video... Can confirm most of what Emma is saying.... that is all closer to what we saw back in 2007 rather than the craziness back in 2018. Which honestly, I expect to happen in hanami this year, because too much people have been waiting to go during this exact period for the past 3 years, plus weak yen... it's gonna be hell. Totally gonna be hell. I have some plans to go to Japan again, but it won't be this year... if it happens, it won't be during hanami, and I'd likely organize the trip to be elsewhere than the Tokyo-Osaka-Kyoto triangle. Really, I'm expecting all sorts of news of incidents and problems with tourists this year during hanami season in Japan, Emma and Tokyo Creative should either do things in advance and stay home during the hell that is gonna be hanami this year, or should schedule inaka trips and content... xD Look, I also went there as a tourist, so I was part of the problem, I don't have the right to complain... but just gotta be honest, my entire tourist group enjoyed the trip back in 2007 much more than the trip in 2018 because of the crowding problem. It just kinda kills the magic a little bit, you know? You end up not being able to see as much, relax as much, or contemplate things as much, take everything in... one of the reasons why I wanted to be in Japan during the pandemic so so much. :P There are some venues and some temples that we visited back in 2007 that felt truly magical because they were basically empty. Could part be because I'm kinda anti-social, but you know. The most vivid memory I have back from the trip in 2007 I still can't remember or find out exactly what the place was... I think it was up in Fukushima prefecture somewhere, perhaps close to Nikko. We went on a bit of a side trip there because we were trying to find out connections to my mom's family and relatives... my great grand-parents migrated to Brazil before WWII. Not sure if it was a temple, shrine, or just a park, but there was this place we visited with these huge cypress trees lining up the place, and a small shop kinda in the center of it. It was pretty cold, and the shop was kind of an old wooden house of sorts, they had one of those kerosene heaters right in the middle of it to keep things warm inside. xD It was just magical because the place was empty other than half a dozen other people that seemed like locals walking around in that immense space. It's just a whole other thing going to more empty, more historical and traditional places in Japan that are not tourism hotspots, because it's still all well maintained, some of them pretty grandiose and spectacular, but with no one else around you get to really see all the details, immerse in the space without distractions and all that. Anyways, just going on a nostalgia trip now.... xD Thanks for sharing Emma!

We went in peak cherry blossom in 2018. Yeah, it was busy but it's so beautiful it's worth it. Every tourist spot in every country is busy, but if you want to see it just do it. We had a blast.

i love your jaaaa ne!! at the end that you use to always do! when you parted with sarah and you did that! it brought me back to your older videos! bring it back! :D jaaaaaa ne! xD

I went straight after the borders opened up and am so glad I did. There were still hardly any tourists and on the busiest day there was a schooltrip going around with say 4 classrooms. That was only an issue on the way to Kyomizudera

One of the best trips of my life was visiting Kyoto in April 2021 (living in Japan). It was a rainy weekend but the entire city was empty of tourists. It was surreal to visit temples such as Kinkaku-ji and Sanjusagendo and be literally the only one around... Even Japanese people were not traveling domestically that much yet and it was an unbelievable experience. It's sad to know that I will probably never see Kyoto again like that.. (but of course, I understand that local businesses are happy to have the tourists back).

Love your vids Emma! 😁 And I do love Kyoto! 絵馬 (picture/horse) is funny! You could be 愛真 (love/truth) too, which is love-ly, ahaha. Sidetrack thought, the lucky charm amulet I think is called an Enma omamori, not Emma, lol. It possibly refers to the name of a deity in Japan?!? I apologize if I am being redundant with other comments!

Kyoto during the rain in autumn, despite some of the crowds, is seriously such a vibe 🍁🌧️ 10:03 excuse me while I quote this in my every day life now

We were in Kyoto Jan 1st/2nd (stayed there through the 5th but left for Osaka/Hiroshima on the 3rd-5th)... The area around Togetsu-kyo Bridge wasn't too crowded, and Kinkaku-ji was busy but not *crowded*... Kiyomizu-dera and Fushimi Inari were absolutely shoulder to shoulder jam packed. We didn't go any closer to the Gion district than Kiyomizu-dera but crowds that direction looked pretty hectic.

Rain definitely seems to have an impact. I visited the Arashiyama bamboo grove early one rainy autumn morning - so much quieter than when I had visited the night before.

That's a bit scary! I was planning to go back to Kyoto this summer to give it a second chance. First time around didn't go well with crowds and travel fatigue and 30+C weather at 99.99% humidity. But wandering around less touristy spots was still a nice experience. Might start the trip there to deal with all the crowds and then move on to more relaxing places.

Hi Emma I really love your videos and always looking forward to your next! What kind of blog setup are you running and how do you get such clear audio?!

I was literally looking at plane tickets to Japan last night with some friends. Prices weren’t too bad and hotels were pretty cheap. Might suck it up and go before it gets too crazy. Last time we went we were in a new city every night, this time we’re just going to relax

Thanks for the Kyoto update. Love the citrus 😂

1st time i visited Bamboo forest in 2013 was so peaceful and can feel the zen...revisited in 2017 was too packed and noisy...heading back to Tokyo again next week...it has almost been 3yrs already since lockdowns

I was in the Gion region in Kyoto on a whistle-stop fly-by for a meal [birthday celebration] and then jumping on the shinkansen to return to Tokyo [we travelled from Osaka area, stopping in Kyoto before returning to Tokyo area]. This was about a week ago [8th Jan 2023] and was hell. Weekend was clearly a bad idea... very bad idea... it wasn't pleasant. I have been to Kyoto a couple of times before but this was just crazy. If you come as a tourist - don't go anywhere on the weekends unless you have to. If it's raining you can take a chance. Use weekends as your rest or hotel days and go mid-week to those touristy places instead. You're less likely to meet the domestic crowds if you do that.

I didn’t go traveling during the pandemic, but assuming that it was quiet in Kyoto a few years ago. Then, it seems that it has returned to what it looks like before the pandemic struck, as the borders are reopened and numbers of tourists are excited to explore again, which is a fabulous news.

I was in Kyoto back in summer of 2017. Honestly, it wasn’t bad back then. Maybe I’m just used to stuff being super busy, but it was a great time. I stayed majority of my time in Kyoto for a month and the train system was awesome

I live in Kyoto now as I moved in September and it’s been crazy seeing the difference of people. When I got here I would hardly see any tourists however as the borders opened places like arashiyama got really busy and I started to notice a lot more foreign tourists. It’s crazy to see places I recognize in your videos. Love the content!

I went to Kyoto in September before the opening and it was wonderful. Seeing the pictures of Kiyomizu-Dera now scares me 😅

Hi Emma! When was this? I was there from November 24rth till December 1st and it wasn’t bad, only the weekend at arashiyama was jammed packed. Like shoulder to shoulder, so we had to go back to arashiyama later on a Tuesday and it was raining and then it was ok. Also thank you for sharing this 😊! I would love to enjoy kyoto empty. Was really jealous with the all videos being posted of kyoto during the pandemic. Really wanted to be there.

The streets of Kyoto are wonderful! The food looked delicious too 😋

We had the misfortune of being in Kyoto for three days during coming of age day in 2019. it was full of tourists (ourselves included) but also the public holiday. it was madness trying to get around literally anywhere. Sidewalks were bursting with people in every direction. There were a lot of things I loved about the city and we saw a LOT over those few days. Public transport left a lot to be desired after having such a smooth experience everywhere else in the country. Kyoto tower oddly enough was the one spot where we were able to get in, breath and enjoy the attraction without feeling like a sardine. Its the one city I'd be hard pressed to return to... maybe one day I'll convert like you haha

I came back from Japan and went to Kyoto , it is less crowdy than Tokyo . People are more cooler there . I went to GION and i was alone most of the time on the street and able to see 5 Meiko. If you go to the tourist spot early in the morning before 10:30 there are only few people and you can take great picture. It is depending on what you want. For my part i really loved Kyoto.

I appreciate your honest experience. I hate when vloggers always sugar coat everything from sites to food.

For bags Ecbo Cloak can show you some places to drop bags if you can't get a coin locker, and you can even reserve them before you get there.

*Crikey....!* We're coming in April and were hoping to have the place to ourselves!

I was suuupeer lucky to visit Kyoto in 2022 just as the country reopened in mid October and the crowds were tolerable at Kiyumizu dera and Fushimi Inari taisha. I have a few friends that went recently and the crowds are RIDICULOUS…shoulder to shoulder. I’m so glad I didn’t have to put up with that.

I love that at any given moment, you're never too far away from eating something yummy that I want and get terribly jealous.

We went there before Covid and there were many people in some places especially the popular one. But it was still fun.

I went to kyoto in the middle of november last year...i didn't go to the touristy spot, because it was my 2nd time there...i stayed around nijo station, and went day trip to amanoshidate, it's about 3 hours from kyoto...and it's quite empty, only few tourist...i'll be back again to japan next month, and i really want to explore more kyushu region...

I visited Kyoto just before the pandemic in November 2019 and though it was crowded, I still think it’s definitely worth it. Of course there are a lot of other cities with the same vibes and infrastructures but Kyoto still has its own charm especially for people who enjoys older and historical city like me. Oh btw I also went very early in the morning for places like fushimi inari, temples, then explore the cities for places that I think is better with a crowd like Gion area. My accomodation was right in the heart of Kiyomizudera temple and I think this area is one of those places who are beautiful with and without people. It was so serene and calming in the early morning but fun and cool area in the evening with busy activities. Group tourists are pretty insane not gonna lie, so do avoid them as much as possible. Going very early (just before sunrise until around 8 o’clock) are usually the perfect time if you want to take photos without people. There are some temples who open only after 8 or 9 AM so go there right after the opening time or between 12-1:30 PM when group tourists are usually having lunch. Individual travelers are not that bad in my opinion but it’s always get way too crowded with group tourists. It’s just busses after busses and after busses. They almost always arrive at the same time too 😅

I love the ending bit for some reason.

Kyoto has the most beautiful scenery and the culture ~ way of life is so slow and meditative 🤍🇯🇵🍵✨🌸 Tokyo has been so crowded that not many people are visiting Kyoto 🏮⛩️

It was crazy empty during Covid and I thought it would be way busier now that things have opened

Very beautiful😊

Coming to Japan in 11 days!!!!!!!!!! Can't wait! It's been so long since we have been able to get back there. Our plan is to go first thing in the morning to the popular places. I have already told the family there is no sleeping in - that can happen when we are home!

That little dango thing is the cutest snack I’ve ever seen omg 🍡

I was in Kyoto, November 2012 it was a beautiful trip with the right balance of local and foreign tourist, and I remembered to visit one small wagashi shop next to Fushmi inari shrine, the lady was very welcoming despite not able to communicate in English, but I enjoyed her hospitality and her wagashi obviously. Fast forwarded to April 2018, I had my honeymoon and went to the same place again with my wife - the amount of tourists is totally skyrocketed, and when I visit the same shop all over again, the lady looks frustrated handling all of the foreign tourists, and for some reason she wasn't as welcoming as before. she might thought i come in to for window shopping or something :( it was bad experence, I wasn't enjoying Kyoto as the previous trip. I certainly hope the pandemic changed back the way it was before.

Nice to have you back, Picturehorse! 🐎

3:03 those trees is also where they shot Lost in Translation! (well, the ones in the back in the top right of the shot). Wasn’t sure if you knew :) I myself trekked to Heian Shrine when I was in Kyoto SPECIFICALLY to go to the spot where ScarJo ties her O-mikuji, such a beautiful moment