To avoid the crowds, visit temples and other historic sites, such as Yasaka Pagoda in Kyoto, at sunrise when they open.
Photo by Zhan Xunchao/Shutterstock
This article was originally published in 2024 and most recently updated on October 1, 2026, with current information.
Even as Japan tripled its departure tax, a weaker yen has kept a steady tide of tourists moving around Tokyo and Kyoto. The Japan National Tourism Organization reports that the number of foreign tourists visiting Japan between January and June 2026 totaled 21.1 million. I’ve been a tour guide in Tokyo for more than 20 years and have learned how to avoid the crowds in Japan. Here are my expert tips.
The Hokusai Museum is open Tuesdays to Sundays, 9.30 a.m. to 5.30 p.m.
Photo by Leochen66/Shutterstock
Go to Japan during shoulder season
Peak tourism season in Japan is in March and April for cherry blossoms and October and November for vibrant foliage. Cherry blossom season overlaps with Golden Week, a period of public holidays in Japan from April 29 to May 5, and with China’s labor day holidays, May 1 to 5. That means this seven-day period is particularly packed at popular tourist destinations.
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, and much of Japan takes that time to travel then, making hotels and train tickets harder to secure.
Seeing cherry blossoms in full bloom in Japan is sublime, and we’re not suggesting you skip it; here are some tips for how to avoid crowds during sakura reason. Likewise, the changing leaves in Japan are magnificent; one of the nicest and least-crowded ways to see foliage is on a scenic train ride.
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.
Visit more low-key museums
Popular Tokyo museums include the contemporary Mori Art Museum, which also has an 820-foot-high observation deck, the National Art Center, and the Tokyo National Museum. These are well worth visiting but 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.
Take a break from frenetic Tokyo at the teahouse in the Hamarikyu garden.
Photo by pen_ash/Unsplash
Get lost in less-busy 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 guide to how to spend four 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, then walk along the Tama River in the Mitake Gorge to Sawanoi Ozawa sake brewery. There’s a garden patio here where visitors can taste more than 10 different sakes as well as a tofu restaurant.
How to avoid the crowds in Kyoto
Shimogamo Shrine is one of the oldest Shinto shrines in Japan.
Photo by Milan Rademakers/Shutterstock
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 Bento & Co. shop selling bento boxes, chopsticks, and furoshiki (wrapping cloths), 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 the nation’s oldest tea shop, Tsuen, which has been operating since 1160.
Related: This Kyoto Hotel Is Taking Guests Deep Into the Art of Japanese Pickling
Rise early to explore Tokyo and Kyoto
Shrines and temples often open from sunrise. If you’re up early with jet lag in Tokyo and Kyoto in particular, use the early morning hours to 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’s surrounded by a forest just steps from the pop culture street Takeshita Dori in Harajuku. The human-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 UNESCO World Heritage site Kiyomizu-Dera founded nearly 1,250 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. The one major temple where going early won’t work is Kinkaku-ji (the Golden Pavilion), which opens at 9 a.m.
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 more than 400 shops at Tsukiji Outer Market where you can head from 7 a.m. It’s worth noting that Japanese office workers tend to take their lunch breaks at 12 p.m. on the nose, so aim to eat before noon or after 1:00 p.m. to avoid jockeying for a spot.
Where to go in Japan beyond Tokyo and Kyoto
Lesser-known Niigata is a must-visit for its sake.
Photo by Takashi Images/Shutterstock
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, the Noto Peninsula, 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 a mall called CoCoLo Niigata complete with restaurants and shops for sake, fermented foods, and sweets. The sushi here, right on the coast, 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 works by the late Yayoi Kusama, who grew up there.
Ashikaga
Just north of Tokyo in Tochigi prefecture is Coco Farm & 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, glorious year-round but particularly between mid-April and mid-May when more than 350 wisteria trees burst into bloom.
Tohoku
The Tohoku region north of Tokyo doesn’t see a lot of tourists, so it feels special. The 260 pine-covered islands of Matsushima, north of the city of Sendai, offer some of the most beautiful views in all of Japan. Whiskey lovers should stop for a tasting at Nikka Whisky’s Miyagikyo Distillery on the way to Yamadera; the temple complex, dating to 860, gives visitors a workout with its 1,000-step-climb up to the mountain-top temple, a trek worth it for the spectacular view. On site is a flame, the “eternal light of Buddhism,” said to have been burning continuously since the temple’s founding more than 1,100 years ago.
Onsen hot springs
Onsen resort villages are always a soothing way to relax and unwind. Kinosaki Onsen in Hyogo, three hours northwest of Kyoto, is the rare hot springs village that’s tattoo friendly. About 2.5 hours south of Tokyo in Shizuoka, head to the quieter Ito Onsen instead of the more famous Atami Onsen nearby. Read up on the essentials of onsen etiquette in Japan before you go for a soak.
Related: Far From the Crowds, Japan’s Noto Peninsula Is a Dream for Seafood and Sake Devotees
Frequently asked questions about visiting Japan without crowds
When is the best time to visit Japan to avoid crowds?
If you don’t mind the cold, the best time to visit Japan to avoid crowds is mid-November through early March. This is outside of cherry blossom and fall foliage seasons when popular tourist sites are packed.
What time do temples and shrines open in Kyoto and Tokyo?
Most shrines and temples open at sunrise, although Kyoto’s Kinkaku-ji (the Golden Pavilion) doesn’t open until 9 a.m. Getting to temples and shrines early is one of the easiest ways to avoid large crowds.
What are some less crowded areas in Tokyo?
Tokyo is a crowded city, but there are more residential districts, such as Nakameguro, that are great for shopping and coffee. Daikanyama has an enormous Tsutaya bookstore and specialty denim shops.
