What Kyoto Is Like Now

What Kyoto Is Like Now

If it’s your first time visiting Kyoto, consider yourself lucky because you can’t really compare it to anything. For people like me though, who’s traveled to Kyoto numerous times over the past couple of decades, it’s hard not to think back to the experiences you had before everyone discovered Japan. Our good friends decided to visit with their family, so of course we met up. Here’s what it’s like to travel to Kyoto in 2025. First stop, this ramen shop tucked in amongst some homes. The ramen isn’t really a Kilto thing, but this place looked good. This place smells so good cuz he’s just grilling the pork right there. So, it’s a pretty light broth. Um, subtle flavors are kind of a kyoto thing. It almost reminds me of a soba or something. Some of these shimi pepper brands date back 390 years. It’s crazy. Look at that pork. This egg. So, we’re here at Kitano Tangu. It’s a shrine in Kyoto. Um, we’re really lucky this time because there is a kind of like a flea market going on and it’s held once a month. It’s been like six or seven years probably since I came last. But, it’s really big. Um, lots of little booths selling um, snacks. collectibles of really vintage old old items, mostly Japanese items. Um, so let’s go check it out. [Music] N Jojo or Nij Castle has a projection mapping event by Naked which is a company that designs immersive experiences using light and tech. We kind of missed the zakura light up unfortunately which would have made it even better. We had dinner at an izakaya that the locals recommend and called it a [Applause] day. So, we’re getting more of a unique view of Kyoto today. Riding down the Hoagawa River lets you take in Kyoto’s nature. The ride is nice and calm for most of the way, and there are some pretty exciting moments when you squeeze through rocks and go down many rapids. It’s my third time doing this, but it’s been enjoyable every time. [Music] The boat ride ends in Arashyama, man. It is really crowded today. It’s always a crowded area, but this is the most crazy I’ve ever seen it. We walk through the bamboo forest, which is still very nice. Um, but just that a little bit more weaving is required. We’re kind of tired of the crowd though, so we cut our time here short. Yakiniku for dinner. Because of the increase in tourism, a lot of places are raising their prices a little and the reviews are getting skewed. Even Japanese review sites like Tabilog are more open now. So, what’s happening is that first- timers will eat somewhere, give it five stars, and say it’s the best ever, but by Japan standards, it may be more like a three. On top of that, it’s more expensive than it used to be. This was one of those places. It was good, but probably a bit overvalued for the price. If you want more native research and help planning a Japan trip, you can try omocasitras.com because I do think it’s getting a little bit harder to filter out information these days. So, we got here around um 7:30 or so. Um already a lot of people here, but I can’t imagine what it’ll be like in an hour or 2 hours. So, um that’s just the reality of Kyoto now. Um super packed, probably 70 80% uh foreign tourists and the rest are Japanese. But yeah, very crowded. Definitely not like the last time we were here. Um, I would say if you’re planning to go to any of the tier 1 or tier 2 spots in Kyoto, um, try to stay away between uh 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. maybe. Um, and go early in the morning or if there’s a light up or something, that’s going to be crowded, too. But try to go as much as possible off peak hours cuz otherwise it’s really crowded and kind of like being in Disneyland the whole time. We’re kind of over dealing with the main attractions. So, we’re heading out to the Dtokuji temple area. More of the quieter side of Kyoto. So, we’re back at Cottoan, the same tea house I went to in a previous Kyoto video. It’s a lovely tea house with different rooms inside that you can just relax in. You also can make and drink as much matcha as you’d like and just kind of take things slowly. This is the oldest western restaurant in Kyoto. It dates back more than 125 years. Their skin tomato is surprisingly delicious. I got their signature hamburger steak which has been a favorite for over a century. Basically, it comes steaming hot in this foil wrap. Super tender and you can just see the juices coming out. Super good. We’re headed to Osaka next for more good food. and I found a new area there that I like. Stay tuned and hope to see you in Osaka. In the meantime, let me know what you think about traveling to Kyoto and let me know if you have any tips. Let’s go. Wow. Wow. I don’t know.

Kyoto has changed. It’s more accessible, more popular and more crowded than ever. I visited recently for a few days. Here’s what it’s like traveling to Kyoto now and how it compares to before.

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