The TRUTH About OVERTOURISM in Japan | 1 Day Trip in KYOTO

Kyoto, a city under siege. What was once the tranquil cultural heart of Japan has been forever transformed by the hordes of greedy, loud and rude tourists arriving on the daily. At least that's what the media wants you to believe. Today, I'm going to spend a typical day trip in Kyoto to see if the stories match up with the reality. Overtourism has become a buzzword recently in Japan, particularly here in Kyoto, to the point that parts of Gion, known by travelers as the Geisha District, have been made off-limits after images of a geisha being harassed by a woman trying to take a photo of her went viral. Japanese media have even dubbed these individuals Meiwaku Gaikokujin, literally nuisance foreigners, and it seems like every other week there is a new story making the rounds, whether it's disturbing the peace in the countryside of Mount Fuji or climbing to the top of Family Marts in Tokyo. And while nuisance foreigners make up only a tiny fraction of the millions that visit Japan every year, there has even been discussions about how to accommodate and regulate the well-behaved ones, such as by segregating buses between travelers and Japanese only, or having two payment tiers at restaurants with higher prices for the tourists. I'll be on the lookout for both tourist price gouging and these Meiwaku Gaikokujin as I spend the day in Kyoto, as well as comparing the overall tourist levels at four of Kyoto's most popular and allegedly over-tourist destinations. We'll first start in Arashiyama. The beautiful landscape and bamboo grove have constantly been one of Kyoto's most popular photo spots for decades, but it is notoriously hard to get that perfect picture unless you arrive very early in the morning. From there, we'll take a train into central Kyoto and Fushimi Inari Taisha, Japan's most visited and perhaps most recognizable landmark. We'll then take a break and look for an affordable and delicious lunch in Pontocho Alley, one of Kyoto's most atmospheric dining areas, before tackling the last two and origin of the over-tourism hysteria. Gion's Hanami Koji Street and my favorite temple in Japan, Kiyomizudera and its surrounding Higashiyama District. Typically when I travel Japan, I like to get up early, specifically to avoid any possible crowds, but today, to get a better idea of what the majority experience, I'm getting started in the late morning on a weekday, arriving in Arashiyama at approximately 10 a.m on the Hankyu Line, and the nearly empty train gives me some early high hopes as we get started on what will prove to be a very busy day. Arashiyama has always been one of my favorite parts of Kyoto, to take my friends when visiting Japan as it offers something unique for each season, but it's definitely at its best in autumn when the fall colors emerge. Here, you can enjoy relaxing along the river after a busy day in the city, see the wild monkeys of Iwateyama Park while enjoying panoramic views of the area, take a scenic boat or train ride through the river canyons, or take a stroll through its traditional streets while sampling some of the local delicious treats. In Japan, every area has its own meibutsu, literally famous thing. For example, Osaka is famous for takoyaki, Toyama has its firefly squid, Awaji has its onions, but in Kyoto, its most famous has got to be matcha green tea, which can be found across the city. And since it is a hot summer day, what better than to try some matcha ice cream? Just be careful with the extra helping servings as you might find yourself reenacting the green cinnamon challenge. But enough fun and games, we are here to do a job after all. And so how is the over-tourism situation at our first location? Heading to the bamboo grove just as peak traffic for the day begins and we see our first real taste of crowds that we've heard so much about. Sure enough, there is a lot of people and that's why I recommend coming to this spot early in the morning. On weekdays, you'll be truly surprised how empty this spot is around 7 or 8 am, if you're willing to get up a little bit earlier than everybody else. But rest assured that even with today's crowds, I never had any problem going at my own pace and I never got stuck behind hordes of people. You know, I'm actually kind of surprised. A lot of people, but that's to be expected in Arashiyama. But you know, compared to maybe 10 years ago or so, I really couldn't tell you the difference. And even though there were a lot of people, everyone was being polite. If you were stopping and posing for a photo, people would stay out of the way, you know, give you your turn. Very promising actually on our first stop. So hopefully it gets better from here. With one spot down and three to go before the day's out, we jump on the JR line and 30 minutes later arrive. Atanari station. Fushimi Inari Taisha can be reached from Kyoto's main station in just a few minutes and is instantly recognizable with its thousands of Vermilion Torii gates, which you can even sponsor for yourself, but priced at between 400,000 to over 1 million yen or about 7,000 dollars. It might be better to just enjoy the mountain hike, which by itself is completely free. The entrance to Fushimi is always busy where the gates begin, but by taking a hike up to the summit, which takes about 30 minutes, the crowds begin to thin out. Taking the whole loop around the mountain will take a couple of hours if you take your time, but I have never failed to find a place just to myself when visiting Fushimi and my favorite spot is right in the back with its hidden mossy gardens. Exploring this part really makes this spot worth your time and it's amazing just how serene and relaxing the sounds of nature can be just a few minutes from the heart of Kyoto. There are a lot of great reasons to visit Fushimi Inari, but the fact that this is Japan's most visited tourist spot and even in the peak season in a time where Japan is seeing the most amount of tourists in its entire history, you can still find a spot to yourself. It's just simply incredible. Truly a great place to just come and relax if you're willing to go a little bit further and climb up the mountain to get away from the crowds. For something a bit different, you can even try visiting Fushimi at night as it never closes, which can make for a fun little spooky adventure or you can go up there to watch the sunrise over the city. Now, I don't really watch Japanese TV too often. Frankly, it's just not very good. But there was one time I was traveling and I turned on the TV just to see what was on in the hotel and there was actually a documentary about Fushimi Inari and it was a program about why do foreigners love this spot so much and they had a Japanese professor on. Now, I could tell you my own ideas. It's about 10 minutes from Kyoto station, completely free, one of the most iconic images of Japan. It was in Memoirs of a Geisha, a very popular movie, of course. But the professor had his own idea. Now, because he thought that all foreigners have blue eyes and the gates of Fushimi Inari are red or vermilion, they're opposites and the idea was that opposites would attract. Now, not sure exactly how scientific that is, but why don't you let me know what you think. Conveniently, there are multiple train lines connecting Fushimi with Kyoto and for our lunch and number three spot, we just need to jump on the Keihan line and ride 14 minutes to Gion Shijo station. But before visiting Hanamikoji street, we'll take a quick detour over the bridge and the Kamogawa to Pontocho. This alley really comes alive at night and caters to both well-priced and high-end luxury dining. Its cozy atmosphere and network of corridors make it great for an evening stroll after dinner. And while Hanamikoji is where tourists typically go to try and spot a geisha, I've actually more frequently seen them in this area in the past and even today as I briefly spot one as she goes about her business. But with an empty stomach and with no desire to reenact this meiwaku incident, I leave her and head to Kyoto Gaten right by the entrance of the alley and order the premium Gaten Gozen, which comes with assorted sushi, tempura fried vegetables and soba noodles with a matcha green beer, once again opting for the Kyoto Meibutsu. It really surprised me that I was the only patron during lunch as the location, ambience and food were excellent. The sushi was fresh and delicious, the tempura was perfectly battered and crispy and the cold soba was really refreshing since the sun had finally come out on what was already a hot summer day. But how was the beer? Well, it is it is green. The whole meal came to 3,730 yen or just about 25 dollars. That is typically twice what I would usually pay for a less fancy lunch in a non-tourist hot spot, but it's still incredibly cheap compared to prices in other countries and I couldn't have enjoyed it more. Imagine eating this good. It's five star days. Fueled up, refreshed and ready to tackle the last two tourist spots, I prepare for the worst as we go back across the bridge to central Gion, which is just a few minutes walk away. Earlier in the year, there were a lot of articles about tourists being banned from Hanami Koji and many travelers were concerned that they would be unable to visit it at all due to the bad behavior of the previous nuisance foreigners and that this part of Kyoto could be ruined forever. But as I enter, I find that it's almost completely overblown and you can still enjoy 90% of the traditional district with just one of its alleyways, Kosodei Koji, being closed with an entry penalty of a 10,000 yen fine. The entirety of Hanami Koji is actually a non-public road, but you are allowed to enjoy the street provided you don't cause any trouble. There are many signs in the area which also state photography is prohibited under a penalty of a fine. However, I have noticed many Japanese and tourists alike taking quick selfies or posing outside of its tea shops. While I do encourage you to follow the rules, the reality is that the fine is really only applied to the troublemakers, of which I fortunately saw none. Rest assured, despite what you may have heard, you can still visit this part of Kyoto freely and if you're lucky, spot a geisha, which are actually called geiko in Kyoto or they're maiko apprentices as they go about their days. But if you do see them, make sure you treat them with respect and don't be this woman. From Gion, our final stop for the day is just a 25 minute walk away. It's uphill which can be brutal in Japanese summers, so you can also take the bus, a taxi or even a rickshaw. But the Higashiyama area really is some of the most beautiful parts of the city, so I'd encourage you to walk from the Yasaka Jinja towards Kiyomizu-zaka, exploring as you go. The streets between Gion and the five-story pagoda were surprisingly clear and I began to feel ecstatic as it seemed that the rumors of overcrowding were about to be completely shattered. But then, drama. As we begin the ascent through Kiyomizu-zaka, the crowds grow larger, roads tighter, stores were busier and at last it seemed that the legends were true. Well, that is until we reach the summit and the gates of Kiyomizu-dera, where the crowds once again thinned out. Kiyomizu-dera is one of the most celebrated temples in all of Japan, named the pure water temple due to its waterfall divided into three streams, which bestow three different boons. One for longevity, one for success in school and business and one for fortune in love. Drink from any two streams of your choice, but to drink from all three is considered greedy and will bring you misfortune. So which would you pick? Kiyomizu is one of the first places in Japan I ever visited back in 2004 on a high school trip. And if I'm being honest, the crowds I saw today were not that much larger than those in my memories. The temple was always one of my favorite places in Japan for its beautiful architecture, stunning autumn colors and views over Kyoto as the sun sets. And after today, I'm happy to find that that remains unchanged. So it seems that we've found today that on the whole, Japan isn't truly suffering from overtourism at all. In fact, many of the reports from the clogged streets come from two different events. The first being Japan's busiest season in spring when for two weeks the sakura flowers are in bloom. During this time, you can expect to see two or even three times the usual amount of tourists from both abroad and locals attending hanami parties. Hotel prices will also spike at this time, but it is without a doubt Japan at its most iconic. A good alternative, however, to spring travel for those of you that want to experience the vibrant seasons of Japan is the fall color season, which is actually my favorite time to visit. The other time you can expect to see huge crowds is during particularly popular festivals or matsuri events such as Gion Matsuri in summer. Fortunately, Japan has many different matsuris all throughout the year with the majority not being too crowded. My two favorite ones are Danjiri Matsuri in September or October or Sakicho Matsuri in March. I'll be uploading some future content about these festivals. So be sure to subscribe to not miss out. You know, I have to admit that when I started this video, I kind of had an idea of how it was going to go. Melting under the hot Japanese sun, surrounded by crowds, and as much as I like Kyoto, I've just been avoiding it because I thought that's just how it was going to be. But, you know, I've been pleasantly surprised today and I really had a lot more fun in one day than I thought I would have so I'll post a quick itinerary here if you want to screenshot it and do it yourself. But for the full Kyoto experience, you need to check out my four-day guide here and I'll see you in the next one.