Kyoto Overtourism, On the Ground and In the Data

A city under the spotlight

Kyoto sits at the center of a global conversation about overtourism. Japan’s borders reopened in late 2022, the yen weakened, and international arrivals surged to record levels in 2024. According to government data cited by major outlets, more than three million international travelers entered Japan in March 2024, a new monthly high compared with pre pandemic figures. Kyoto, the country’s ancient capital and a showcase of living traditions, has felt that wave in concentrated ways. Guidebooks placed Tokyo and Kyoto on the Fodor’s No List for 2025, a symbolic mark of how overtourism now shapes travel choices and local policy.

The picture is not simple. Crowding is acute at certain places and times, yet it can feel manageable or even calm in others. Local residents praise the economic lifeline but complain about buses jammed with luggage, long lines at popular eateries, and behavior that clashes with local norms. City officials and businesses have responded with a mix of education and new rules, from signage that asks visitors to mind their manners to limited access in private lanes in the Gion district. Kyoto’s challenge is not tourism itself. The issue is concentration, timing, and conduct in a compact city where a few must see sights draw a large share of the visitors.

What we saw on a peak summer visit

Firsthand observations during the Obon holiday add useful texture. Kyoto Station hummed with activity yet did not feel overwhelming. Boarding the 206 City Bus, a route that serves several headline attractions, was straightforward that morning. Seats were available and the mix of riders skewed young and local, including students heading across town. This was not the gridlock that dominates social media feeds.

Arriving near Kiyomizudera just after 9 a.m., the approach streets were open enough to stroll without bumping elbows. Stores had opened, clerks greeted passersby, and the walk to the temple entrance felt unhurried. At the ticket counter there was no crush. The balcony area drew steady interest yet allowed visitors to pause, find space, and enjoy the view across the city. Drawing a fortune slip took no waiting at all. Many visitors appeared to be from overseas, and most were busy taking photos or quietly soaking in the scenery.

By late morning, the lanes leading back from the temple grew noticeably busier, especially in the cluster of shops nearest the gate. Step beyond that core, however, and the crowds thinned again. The pattern matched advice from long time Kyoto watchers. Early arrivals gain more room at top sites, while the late morning to mid afternoon window often compresses foot traffic in the narrowest retail corridors.

When Kyoto feels overwhelmed

There are also days and locations where Kyoto strains to cope. The Gion district has seen visitors chase after geiko and maiko to grab pictures, touch elaborate kimono, or block narrow lanes. Signs prohibiting eating while walking are common at the Nishiki market, where stall owners have complained about grease stains on clothing and slow moving human traffic. In January 2025, a large group near Fushimi Inari Taisha ignored warning alarms at a railway crossing, forcing an emergency stop that delayed trains for about 20 minutes. Shopkeepers said similar bottlenecks now occur several times a week during holiday periods.

Drivers, commuters, and residents describe the change in daily rhythm. Hisashi Kobayashi, a taxi driver in Kyoto, sees the congestion up close and worries about the city’s character under peak pressure. He put the feeling bluntly.

“When Japanese people come here, they feel they are in a foreign land because there are so many tourists. It is not Kyoto anymore.”

Some residents speak of a constant festival atmosphere that bleeds into regular life. Event organizer Hiroshi Ban recalled a visit to Heian Jingu that took twice as long because buses were held up by crowds counting coins for fares. He described the mood in simple terms.

“Every day feels like a carnival here.”

Visitors, too, are candid when the crush spoils the mood. After leaving Kiyomizudera, a traveler from the Netherlands called the scene a mess.

“It is a disaster.”

These accounts do not cancel quieter experiences. They show how the same city can feel serene at 7 a.m. and overrun by noon, especially during cherry blossom season, autumn foliage peaks, and long holiday stretches.

Why the experience varies so widely

Time and place drive most of the variance. Kyoto concentrates visitors into a compact set of famous spots, including Kiyomizudera, Fushimi Inari Taisha, Kinkakuji, Arashiyama, and Nishiki. These sites sit on itineraries worldwide. Hundreds of group tours, a wave of independent travelers using the same social media tips, and a daily pulse of domestic day trippers all converge on the same few corridors.

Seasonality matters. Peak cherry blossom weeks and the brightest autumn days bring surges that exceed capacity on streets and buses. Weekends and national holidays compress traffic further. By contrast, winter weekdays, early mornings, and late evenings present a different city.

Visitor mix also plays a role. A weak yen makes flights and hotels more affordable for international travelers, while domestic visitors face higher local prices without the exchange rate benefit. Recent mobile phone location data during Golden Week showed a drop in Japanese visitors at marquee Kyoto sites when compared with prior years. Research also suggests Japanese travelers are testing alternatives such as nearby Nara. Average hotel rates in Kyoto have jumped compared with two years ago, a rising cost that many domestic travelers cannot offset. The result is a city where foreign arrivals swell headline locations while some Japanese guests opt for quieter and less expensive options.

What Kyoto is doing to manage visitor pressure

City leaders and neighborhoods have tried a mix of soft and firm measures. Signage in stations and shopping streets urges visitors to mind their manners. Private lanes in Gion have been closed to tourists to protect residents and working geiko and maiko. The city has removed the popular city bus one day pass that encouraged long bus hops and crowding at central stops, and it has adjusted hotel taxes, with higher rates at the high end. Kyoto has also introduced dedicated tourist bus routes to pull visitor traffic away from core commuter lines.

Fines and warnings target specific friction points. In Gion, signs make clear that photographing geiko and maiko without consent can lead to penalties, and businesses have posted English language notices against eating while walking. Market vendors experimented with clearer messaging when polite requests failed, yet many still worry about sustaining goodwill while keeping aisles walkable.

National programs aim to spread travel beyond the usual prefectures and smooth congestion with technology. Airlines and hospitality groups promote lesser known regions with special campaigns, and tourist boards are testing live crowd information and apps that predict congestion at popular spots. The goal is to disperse demand, fund local services, and improve the daily experience for residents and visitors.

Local voices and tensions

Every policy choice carries tradeoffs. Small business owners want full tables and steady foot traffic, yet they also need workable streets, predictable delivery windows, and customers who understand basic etiquette. The strain appears in small interactions where language, custom, and curiosity collide.

From a barbershop chair in central Kyoto, Shoji Matsumoto described how tourism has spilled far beyond the classic postcard routes.

“Before, it was normal to see tourists in certain spots. But now, they are spreading out to random and unexpected places.”

At a barbecue eel shop near Nishiki, owner Yoshino Yamaoka hung two signs in English telling passersby not to eat while walking. When softer messages went unheeded, she made the second sign larger and underlined.

“People were not following it, so I put up this one with a stricter tone. Business depends on the tourists.”

These are not anti visitor sentiments. They speak to a desire for balance, clear communication, and respect for the fact that geiko and maiko are working professionals, not props for photos. When that respect holds, a crowded city stays livable.

How to enjoy Kyoto without the gridlock

Travelers still have many tools to shape a calmer trip. The most powerful levers are timing, routing, and conduct. Early and late sightseeing, smart use of trains and subways, and a willingness to swap one or two famous spots for less trafficked temples can change the day completely.

Start early and return late

Plan headline sights for the first hours of the day. Aim to start by 7 a.m. at places like Kiyomizudera or Fushimi Inari, then return to central areas after 7 p.m. Many group tours concentrate between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. Moving outside that window restores the quiet that draws people to Kyoto in the first place. Midday is perfect for lunch in residential neighborhoods, small museums, gardens, or shopping streets away from the biggest hubs.

Rethink transportation

City buses get overwhelmed on popular corridors, particularly along routes 100, 101, and 206 in the midday period. Prioritize trains, subways, and walking. The JR Nara Line, Keihan, Hankyu, and the subway lines bypass the worst traffic and connect smoothly to many districts. Kyoto is also a good cycling city with marked lanes and calmer side streets, which eases pressure on bus stops and gives you a wider footprint for exploring.

Pick smart places for the middle of the day

Kyoto has more than two thousand shrines and temples. Only a small fraction see constant crowding. During the midday peak, choose lesser known precincts or museums, tea houses, and artisan workshops. Many neighborhoods just a few stops from central stations offer quiet cafes and independent shops where the pace slows and conversations come easier.

Practice simple etiquette

Small courtesies go far. Keep to the left on narrow streets. Ask permission before photographing people, including geiko and maiko. Avoid eating while walking in markets and shrine approaches. Queue calmly at bus stops and have fare ready. These habits ease friction, and they match what local campaigns already ask visitors to do.

Ideas that deepen the experience

Policy thinkers in Kyoto have suggested a shift from seeing visitors as spectators to inviting them to participate with intent. The idea borrows from role playing games, where learning the rules unlocks deeper layers. In practice, that means more pre trip education about customs, respect for religious spaces, and clear signposting in multiple languages. It also means more chances to contribute or learn, from booking small cultural workshops to visiting studios where artisans demonstrate how age old crafts fit modern life.

These approaches do not cap numbers in a blunt way. They aim to raise the quality of interactions. When visitors understand why an alley is off limits or why a particular shrine path is one way during festivals, compliance improves without constant enforcement. Tours that explain the pressures on certain districts help guests make smarter choices, and they nudge business to streets that can handle it. The city’s strengths in urban design, walkability, and a strong artisan culture give substance to this model.

Outlook for the coming year

Japan’s national target to draw many more international visitors by 2030 keeps pressure on big name destinations. Fees and taxes can fund services, yet evidence from Europe suggests they rarely shrink crowds by themselves. Exchange rates shape demand more profoundly than any municipal rule. That does not mean Kyoto is powerless. Investments in better information, smoother transport connections, and neighborhood friendly visitor flows can protect quality of life. The decision by some domestic travelers to swap Kyoto for Nara hints at how demand shifts when price and crowding cross a line.

For travelers, the lesson is straightforward. Smart timing, route choices, and good manners still unlock a fulfilling Kyoto, even at the height of peak seasons. For the city, the task is to keep prominent sites welcoming while spreading benefits to places that want more visitors. The data says the crowds are real. The streets say they can be managed.

Key Points

• Japan set monthly records for international arrivals in 2024, and Kyoto remains a prime stop for those trips
• Firsthand observations during Obon found Kiyomizudera calm before 9 a.m., with crowds building mainly near shop lined approaches later in the morning
• Hotspots such as Gion, Fushimi Inari, and Nishiki experience peak congestion and etiquette problems during busy periods
• Incidents at a railway crossing near Fushimi Inari prompted train delays, showing safety risks when crowds ignore warnings
• Domestic visitation has softened at some marquee Kyoto sites, with many Japanese travelers choosing alternatives like Nara amid higher hotel prices
• City measures include tourist focused buses, closure of certain private lanes, clearer signage, removal of a popular bus day pass, and higher hotel taxes
• National efforts use technology and promotions to disperse visitors across regions and inform travelers about crowd levels
• Local business owners back tourism but call for better etiquette and respect for working geiko and maiko
• Practical tactics for visitors include starting sightseeing at 7 a.m., favoring rail and walking over buses, and choosing lesser known sites at midday
• Kyoto’s challenge is concentration and conduct, not tourism itself, and both can be managed with smarter planning and informed behavior