Japan is no stranger to overtourism. According to the Japan National Tourist Organization, the number of inbound tourists from January to September 2024 totaled 26.88 million, the highest ever recorded. The weaker yen is changing the image of Japan being an expensive destination, and the crowds can be felt particularly in Tokyo and Kyoto. But there are many ways to avoid the crowds in Japan. Here are some tips.
The Hokusai Museum is open Tuesdays to Sundays, 9.30 a.m. to 5.30 p.m.
Photo by LEOCHEN66/Shutterstock
Consider when you go
Peak tourism season in Japan is in March and April for cherry blossoms and October and November autumn for the vibrant foliage. With global warming, summers are uncomfortably hot and extremely humid. So consider coming sometime between late November and early March. The end of the school year is in late March, so much of Japan takes that time to travel then, making hotels and train tickets harder to secure.
Explore Tokyo off the tourist trail
Japan’s capital city is justifiably popular for its cuisine, shopping, pop culture, and accessibility. However, trains make it easy to get around the metropolis and there are a number of ways to avoid the masses.
Explore lesser-known museums
Popular Tokyo museums include the Mori Museum, the National Art Center, and now through February 24, a Hello Kitty exhibit at the Tokyo National Museum. These will be busy. Some quieter museums to investigate include the Hokusai Museum for woodblock prints, the Edo Tokyo Open Air Architectural Museum, and the Japan Folk Crafts Museum for mingei crafts, including pottery and textiles.
Wander around quieter neighborhoods
The residential Nakameguro district is great for vintage and fashion boutiques as well as coffee. After that, head to Daikanyama nearby for the enormous Tsutaya bookstore and shops specializing in jeans. Monzennakcho near downtown Tokyo, meanwhile, is home to both the Tomioka Hachiman shrine and Fukagawa Fudo-do temple, which presents a drumming and fire ceremony every two hours between 9 a.m. and 7 p.m. I recommended several other spots, including some hip neighborhoods on the Chuo line, west of Shinjuku, in Afar’s recent guide to 4 Days in Tokyo.
Find peace in green spaces
Gardens and green space are a treasured part of any visit to Japan, and public gardens are easy to access in Tokyo. Try Kiyosumi or Hamarikyu, both of which are lovely to break up the day and briefly escape the busy metropolis. Kiyosumi is on the east side of the city near the Museum of Contemporary Art and Hamarikyu is near Tsukiji Market. If your schedule allows time for a day trip, consider hiking in the mountains in Western Tokyo. Take the Chuo line to Mitake Station. Walk along the Tama River in the Mitake Gorge to Sawanoi Ozawa sake brewery. There’s a garden patio here where visitors can taste up to 10 different sakes and a tofu restaurant.
Shimogamo Shrine is one of the oldest Shinto shrines in Japan.
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Crowd-free Kyoto
My first tip here is to hire a taxi for a few hours to take you to the sites. While subways zoom underground in Tokyo, here most places are reached by buses. These can be uncomfortably crowded and long journeys. It’s common to book a taxi for the day, half-day, or a few hours. Your hotel concierge can assist in arranging this service.
Frenchman Thomas Bertrand, owner of the amazing Bento & Co. shop selling bento boxes and other cool items, has resided in Kyoto for more than two decades. He recommends getting lost and walking around quieter parts of the city near Demachiyanagi Station, such as the Kamogawa Delta, Shimogamo shrine, and Tadasu no Mori forest. He says, “With Kyoto University and Doshisha University in the area, there are nice and cheap restaurants for university students and local residents.”
For museums, check out the Fukuda Art Museum in Arashiyama on the outskirts of the city; it has a big selection of Japanese paintings dating back to the Edo Period. The Kunjyukan incense museum is connected to one of the oldest incense companies in Japan, Shoyeido, and is a few blocks from the Manga Museum for pop culture fans.
The Murin-An Garden, meanwhile, limits the numbers of visitors so book your visit ahead of time. And tea lovers will want to explore Uji—a town that can be visited in a day trip—as it’s one of Japan’s most famous tea regions and home to Japan’s oldest tea shop, Tsuen, which has been operating since 1160.
Rise early to explore both big cities
Shrines and temples open early, often from sunrise. In Tokyo and Kyoto, if you’re up early with jet lag, get up, stretch your legs, and pay a visit to these spots before the crowds descend upon them. In Tokyo, two appealing examples are Meiji Jingu Shrine and the Nezu Shrine. What makes Meiji Jingu Shrine special is that it is surrounded by a forest just steps from the pop culture street Takeshita Dori in Harajuku. The man-made forest is composed of tens of thousands of trees and plants donated from all over Japan in 1920. Nezu Shrine, built in 1705, is one of Tokyo’s oldest Shinto shrines and is popular for its row of red torii gates. The many Kyoto spots include the World Heritage site Kiyomizu-Dera founded 1,2000 years ago with a panoramic view of the city, and Yasaka Jinja, dating back 1,350 years, is a photogenic spot with the eye-catching vermilion gate.
Another place to visit at dawn are the food markets. While the wholesale seafood market has moved to Toyosu Market in Tokyo, there are still about 400 shops at Tsukiji Outer Market. Head over after 7:00 a.m. Also worth noting: Japanese office workers tend to take their lunch breaks at 12 p.m. on the nose. If you’re in a busy part of the city, aim to eat before noon or after 1:00 p.m.
Lesser-known Niigata is a must-visit for its sake.
Photo by Takashi Images/Shutterstock
Beyond Tokyo and Kyoto
Traveling into quieter parts of Japan can be rewarding. Some areas to put on your radar include Niigata City in Niigata, Matsumoto in Nagano, Ashikaga in Tochigi, and the Tohoku region in northern Japan.
Niigata
Niigata, which is north of Tokyo on the Sea of Japan, is famous for sake and sushi. At Niigata Station, Ponshukan is a casual sake tasting room with 100 types of sake from 90 breweries. The main Niigata Station has recently reopened with a new mall called CoCoLo Niigata complete with restaurants and shops for sake and fermented foods. The sushi here will be fresher than in Tokyo.
Matsumoto
Matsumoto in Nagano prefecture, in the center of Honshu island, is a walkable city that’s home to Matsumoto castle, a national treasure of Japan, and the Matsumoto City Museum of Art, which prides itself in a collection of native Yayoi Kusama artworks.
Ashikaga
Just north of Tokyo in Tochigi prefecture is Coco Farm and Winery—a cool winery staffed by developmentally disabled adults who live and work on the mountainside vineyards. Ashikaga is also famous for the Ashikaga Flower Park that is glorious year-round but particularly from mid-April to mid-May when 350 wisteria trees are blossoming.
Tohoku
The Tohoku region, north of Tokyo, has much to offer. This part of Japan doesn’t see a lot of tourists so it feels special. The scenic Matsushima pine-covered islands north of the city of Sendai offer some of the most beautiful views in all of Japan. Whiskey lovers will not want to miss the Miyagikyo Distillery of Nikka Whisky on the way to Yamadera temple complex, founded in 860, where visitors climb 1,000 steps to reach the temple on the mountain for a spectacular view. On site is a flame that is said to have burned continuously for over 1,000 years.
Onsen hot springs
Onsen resort villages are always a soothing way to relax and unwind. Kinosaki Onsen in Hyogo, north of Kyoto, is the rare hot springs village that is tattoo friendly. South of Tokyo in Shizuoka, head to the quieter Ito Onsen instead of the more famous nearby Atami Onsen.
