As someone who lived in Tōkyō for ten years, that city will always feel like home, and I am happy to recommend that people visit it.
However, Kyōto is the Platonic ideal of a Japan visit. There is so much to discover, explore, and be wowed by in Kyōto that my husband and I are considering retiring there (or, at the very least, Kyōto’s environs).
But Kyōto is on every tourist’s radar. Although the financial downturn in China has resulted in fewer visitors from there, there has been an uptick in travelers from Europe and elsewhere in Asia, including countries like Taiwan, Vietnam, and Thailand.
Coping with the crowds that swarm the most popular destinations can be exhausting. I'd like you to please read on for a few tips on outsmarting those crowds and recommendations for more off-the-radar sites.
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