Signs in Kyoto. Photo: Rachel Holdsworth

Alternatives to Kyoto

Rachel Holdsworth
5 min read2 days ago

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Kyoto is one of the places to visit when you go to Japan, we all know this. Unfortunately, Kyoto is a hell of a lot smaller than Osaka and Tokyo, and just can’t cope with the numbers of tourists that descend each day.

Kyoto’s transport system only has a small metro and mostly relies on buses, which fill up fast. The narrow streets around Kiyomizudera and Gion get blocked with tourists. The temples, which are supposed to be havens of tranquility, are now heaving with bodies and staff who constantly tell you not to take selfies or don’t sit there, even if you had no intention of doing so.

Tourists are banned from certain streets in Gion, at risk of fines for venturing down them. There are signs everywhere asking tourists to not take photos, or just generally show a bit of damn respect.

It’s simply not pleasant.

If you want to see the main sights to say you’ve seen them then, by all means, go to Kyoto. Or pop across from Osaka for a taste — it’s only half an hour on the train.

If, however, what you’re looking for is the old Japan; if you’re looking for a moment of Zen; I have some suggestions for alternatives.

And if you’re about to visit Japan for the first time, take a look at my quick guide based on my previous six visits to the country.

Geisha Evenings experience in Kanazawa. Photo: Rachel Holdsworth

Geisha

Kyoto has started preventing access for tourists to certain streets in Gion because people were treating the geisha like Disney mascots; following them down the street, obtrusively photographing them, even touching them. Which, just, no.

Kanazawa has three remaining teahouse districts, and they are beautiful. One of the teahouses offers a performance evening with geisha during spring and autumn, and very reasonably priced. I heartily recommend it and I’ve not seen anything similar on offer in Kyoto.

Kanazawa also has one of Japan’s most beautiful traditional gardens and some fantastic art galleries. It’s a great place to spend a few days.

And with the Hokuriku Arch rail pass, it’s a cheaper way of getting between Tokyo and Osaka now that the main Japan rail pass price got hiked.

Spectacular temples

I will admit, nothing really comes close to replicating Kinkaku-ji, the golden pavilion in Kyoto. (There’s a temple in Hiraizumi which is also covered in gold, but it’s quite far north of Tokyo.)

What you could try is Nara, which is a 30–45 minute train journey south of Osaka or Kyoto which has various temples (set in a lovely park, with deer!), one of which is a vast wooden building with an equally vast golden Buddha inside. It may not have the instant ‘wow’ factor of Kinkaku-ji but it’s so huge I involuntarily started giggling when I saw it.

Toshogu at Nikko. Photo by Angel de los Rios, on Flickr

If you want impressive, you should visit the shrine and mausoleum complex at Nikko, which is a couple of hours on the train north of Tokyo. The buildings recently underwent significant renovation and are overwhelmingly shiny and beautiful. There are multiple shrines across the site and you can easily spend a day there, immersing yourself in centuries of Japanese history.

Another temple town is Kamakura, about an hour on a local train south of Tokyo. There’s a massive bronze Buddha statue which is very popular but, much like Kyoto, there are many other temples in the area. Unlike Kyoto, some of these will be quiet and you can find a moment’s peace.

All three of these towns are acknowledged tourist sites so they will be busy, but they’re not going to feel as sardine-like as Kyoto.

Temples with a view

Kiyomizudera is one of the main sites in Kyoto, but the streets that approach it are rammed; the buses that take people near it are rammed; it’s just rammed.

Another famous temple which has a viewing platform built into a mountain is Yamadera. It’s beautiful, but there are literally 1,000 steps to get up there and it’s located about an hour from Sendai, which is itself about 90 minutes north of Tokyo.

View from Hasedera’s main platform. Photo: Rachel Holdsworth

For somewhere closer to Kyoto, and definitely away from the beaten path, visit Hasedera. It’s quiet, beautiful and feels spiritual. Here, you can definitely get your moment of Zen. The town is also small and peaceful, with various shops selling dango and salmon nigiri wrapped in persimmon leaves along the quiet road to the temple.

Hasedera can be reached in about an hour from Osaka or 45 minutes from Nara; non-JR rail lines can take you all the way, or you can do most of the journey via JR and then switch to the other line (and buy a ticket for the non-JR section if you’re using a rail pass).

Monastic life

Konpon Daito Pagoda at Mount Koya. Photo: Rachel Holdsworth

Koyasan / Mount Koya is an increasingly popular destination, a couple of hours south of Osaka. It’s a temple complex on a mountain, with a beautiful cemetery set among a forest, so plenty of temples and Buddhist culture to experience. It’s also not swarming with people yet, despite being on various tour group itineraries, and it’s possible to find occasional pockets where you feel like you have the place to yourself.

Another interesting aspect to Koyasan is the opportunity to stay overnight in a temple, alongside the monks, eating their food and getting up early to meditate with them.

Bamboo

Arashiyama is another must-see in Kyoto but, by all accounts, these days the paths are packed with people and the idea of a peaceful wander through the bamboo forest is gone.

Thankfully, Japan Cheapo recommends visiting Adashino Nenbutsu-ji, which is in the same area as the more famous bamboo forest but slightly further out and much less visited.

Inari shrines

There are other Inari shrines with the endless red torii gates around Japan, not just Fushimi Inari, but they tend to be scattered in relatively remote places. (Though there is one close to Kinosakionsen, which is a gorgeous onsen town a few hours north of Osaka, and well worth a visit in its own right.)

If you’re in Tokyo, pop into Nezu Shrine near Ueno Park (and nearer to Yanaka Cemetery and Yanaka Ginza, also worth seeing). It has a mini set of torii gates that you don’t have to get up at 5am to see without crowds (and don’t have to worry about wild boar at night!).

Nezu Shrine, Tokyo. Photo: Rachel Holdsworth

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Rachel Holdsworth

Politics, policy, London | Writer, editor, social, swears | Now with added kitten