Visit Kyoto in a super travel era

In recent years, with the continued increase in overseas tourists in Japan, more and more problems have surfaced. Especially Kyoto is the first to bear the brunt: the report says disrespectful tourists crowded streets, hound apprentices Geisha, Geisha, Defe ruined legendary temple The ancient capital is usually taken like the background of a theme park or Instagram photo.

So far, this phenomenon has been recorded globally in almost all major media. Kyoto and Tokyo Both make Fodor’s “No List” This year, recent New York Magazine Articles The current situation is detailed in detail: a group of disrespectful tourists treat the historical city like an “amusement park” or a “safari”.

As a traveler with good intentions and a sense of respect, thorough travel can cause difficult problems. After all, there is a reason why public places are visited extensively – they are beautiful, unique and rich in history. It is difficult to object to tourists who want to experience the magic of ancient capitals. Frankly, I still highly recommend Kyoto when my friends visited Japan.

So what is the best way to solve this problem? According to locals and insiders, it is still possible to plan a trip to Kyoto in a way that respects local culture and does not cause interference. You just need to be careful, do your duty, and be prepared to give up some of the most revelry sites.

Areas around Kiyomizu-dera

The issue of openism in Kyoto

I lived a large part of my life in Japan, but I have only been to Kyoto a few times. Admittedly, I found that crowded crowds, especially in the areas around Kiyomizu-dera, Fushimi Inari Taisha and Arashiyama Bamboo Forest, harming the tranquil energy of these locations. Ironically, however, when I traveled to Kyoto with my college friends who visited from the United States, these are the places I took them to-because, “You just have to do that.”

The population of Kyoto is about 1.4 million, and in 2024, Kyoto attracted 10.88 million foreign tourists. according to New Yorkabout 150,000 people visit the city every day. Most of these visitors are in the same few places – the places I mentioned above, and some other places (Kinkaku-ji, Nijo Castle, etc.).

For Kyoto residents, the constant influx of tourists can be incredibly destructive. Daily life is often affected by overcrowded public transport and a large number of unreflected tourists, especially in popular areas such as Higashiyama and Arashiyama, which is almost impassable during peak hours. exist investigation Depend on Yomiuri Shimbun In the fall of 2023, about 90% of the 5,500 local respondents were frustrated by the bus and train congestion caused by the tourism industry.

Not only interruptions occur in public places. New York Describes a phenomenon Ignorance Visitor “Open the sliding door Machia Assume that anything inside is for entertainment and finally walks into someone’s living room. ”

fushimi inari taisha torii

Visitor dilemma

On a rainy day in June, I visited the Tokyo National Museum with friends from the United States for a modern temporary special exhibition ukiyo-e painting. As I struggled to remove the umbrella from its lock holder, my friend reluctantly mentioned that seeing other, obvious American tourists (unsuitable, loud and impatient, with little action on Japanese cultural norms) was seen – embarrassing him of his country. “Tourism inevitably dilutes a place, especially in places like Japan,” he said.

I have not considered tourists this way. Apart from the annoyance of the crowd shooting videos at shibuya Crossing, I don’t think much about them. I have a place, I deserve to die. Like a real boss, I usually have a tunnel vision when I walk and think about the people on my road rather than the country of origin, but the obstacles I have to avoid.

I didn’t really understand what my friends wanted to say until I went on vacation next week in Milan. Suddenly, my character was turned upside down. The ongoing joke is that everyone and their mother are going to Japan or Italy now, but there is something to say about it. On the street, I hear more English than Italians. When I visited Lake Como, I was shocked by its beauty, but also heartbroken by its gentrification. Many long-term residents Being driven out By soaring prices, their homes replaced tourists and millionaires.

My Japanese instinct Kizukai (Considerations for Others) Kicked to Italy for a trip. I was very aware that I was a visitor and took up space in a city that was not mine. I felt sad about my limited Italian vocabulary, stuttered my lunch order, spoke a generous smile to the waiter and responded in fluent English. I immediately felt more sympathetic to foreigners in Japan, where English was hard to get.

I can’t help feeling a strong similarity between Milan and Kyoto. Both cities attract large crowds, mainly because of their deep history – immersed in buildings and embedded in the land itself. The shrines and temples in Kyoto have aroused similar awe to the Italian cathedral. In my opinion, Duomo di Milano and Kiyomizu-dera feel like two aspects of the same coin.

As a tourist, I feel intimate. Sin, it may change the landscape of a country with so much history in a few minutes. As one of the thousands who visited Duomo, it was a crowded place that was supposed to be a spiritual refuge.

Vault-Ji Shen Temple

Questions about “must-see” places

In many ways, openism is driven by the collective desire to see some “must-see” attractions. Nowadays, so many trips have become performances, it’s a desire for bragging rights and an effort to perfectly place and filter Instagram posts, to no avail. On Tiktok, influencers touted “necessary” and “must-see” projects, with their followers bookmarking their own content. I’m not criticizing this phenomenon – I know that’s what it means to travel in the modern world. I do the same thing myself: I bookmark the trip tiktoks and Reels when I’m ready to go on a trip and honor my international adventure with a featured photo dump.

However, it is important to remember that a city is much more than people see on the exploration page, and traveling doesn’t mean effortlessly. It requires thinking and planning. Joshua Lassman-Watts, CEO of Luxury Travel Japan is unknownexplain. “The problem seems to be that tourists just want to go to the same location. What happened to curiosity and adventure?”

As We’ve written it beforesaying that Japan is troubled by exaggeration, is an oversimplification. The real problem is that the visitors only have a few well-known attractions. As Lassman-Watts points out, even inside Kyoto, there are countless historical communities, shrines, temples and traditional cafés that are largely attracted to overseas tourists – often just minutes from the city’s most crowded landmarks.

by maru sankaku shikaku no tokuThis is a café located in a renovated 100-year-old house in Enmachi, a quaint neighborhood within walking distance to Kinkaku-Ji. Owner Yoko Tokuji said she really hopes more tourists stop and even try to speak to English online. “Once tourists arrive in Japan, many people don’t know where to go, so they will by default go to famous places, resulting in severe crowding,” she explained. “We need more people to learn about historical areas such as the less famous Nmachi.”

Arashiyama Bamboo Forest

Interested in travel

When you are currently traveling to the geographical location of a tour, changing the narrative about “owning” is to truly experience the city, which is a great first step. “The vast majority of people who visit Kyoto for the first time will visit top locations,” said Jordan McChesney, Untold Japan’s tour guide. “We usually encourage guests to explore the off-tourism of Kyoto. Kyoto is much bigger than people think, so there are no shortage of attractions, and stories can tell you if you know where to look.”

Travelers conduct research appropriately or receive help from local expert guides. Expect cultural differences and prepare them. “Our local guide network includes Japanese and long-term international residents, actively helping our guests browse local customs and etiquette.” Daily tour of Kyoto. “This includes speaking softly in public places, correctly declaring yourself at restaurants, responsibly disposing of garbage, and promoting clear communication by translating menus and local guidelines.”

It is important to remember that, most importantly, you are a guest in someone else’s home, which requires humility and flexibility. Being an outsider does not exempt you from local rules or etiquette, and not every business will satisfy Western tastes. You may encounter places without a UK menu or not, or employees who are not allowed to accommodate non-Japanese spokespersons. Travelers who wish to get a “really real” Kyoto experience without speaking or doing proper research or hiring local guides may be disappointed. The trip may be full of surprises and chance encounters, but tripping without reservations and falling into a perfect wall instead of giving a warm welcome. This is Kyoto, not Narnia.

That said, one of the greatest pleasures of visiting Japan is the attention to the subtle attentiveness and quiet generosity of the people. The locals are usually friendly and many are really happy that their culture has received great interest from abroad. Imitation and understanding culture is an important part of travel, and respect and consideration are probably the most you can do.

Related Articles