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Stepping away from the crowds in one of Japan’s most popular cities.
There’s no sugarcoating it: Kyoto is busy. It’s a top destination for many on their first trip to Japan because of the number of shrines, temples, and other historical sites you can get to in a couple of days. It’s busy almost year-round at this point, and it is driving the regional government to consider significantly raising tourist taxes on hotel stays to counter overtourism.
With that in mind, there are few neighbourhood that aren’t flooded with tourists, but you can find space within a few areas, especially if you time your visit right.
For example, near the Karasuma area is the Sanjocho neighbourhood, where tight streets reveal small restaurants and cafés that are often quiet in the morning and early evening. A stellar café called Here Kyoto has a branch there (don’t miss the roasted chestnut latte), and Pizzeria Osteria e.o.e offers a simply divine Neapolitan-style pizza in a simple, narrow kitchen.
Just west of Pontocho Park is a pocket with several cafés, including one tucked into the back of the city’s Le Labo store. Across the street is a nice opening at Rissei Hiroba Square with Traveling Coffee and Higuma Doughnuts available for a leisurely morning in the shade in a welcome green space. A morning stroll down Pontoncho Alley, which becomes electric at night with bars and restaurants, is a refreshing way to see how the city recharges itself in the morning.
Even though the Gion district gets plenty of feeder traffic from tourists going up the hill to see the ultrapopular Yasaka Shrine, there are opportunities for respite. Planning to line up for the first seating at Menkui Kinya for udon and gyoza puts you on a side street away from much of the walking bustle that’s defined modern Kyoto.
Kyoto is unusual in that neighbourhoods don’t necessarily feel as if they each have their own identity but rather work together and borrow from each other to build a broader music. The small alleys and streets are charming, and they tend to pass through most of the areas you’re bound to end up exploring. That same charm also draws record crowds, however, which makes finding those spaces of quiet all the more important.
When in doubt, a day trip to Uji could also provide some sought-after respite. The village quickly ascended on the Japan tourism map as the centre of matcha production, but tea is just one part of its story. Sure, there are more temples and shrines, but the crowds also dissipate a bit given the distance from Kyoto itself.
With just a bit of planning and luck, you can find those moments and areas that the masses haven’t discovered yet, and perhaps the most memorable parts of a visit to Kyoto.
December 17, 2025
AloJapan.com