Just How Crowded Is Japan?
Your itinerary is all set.
Tickets & hotels are booked.
All the sites, activities & experiences you want to see & do – so many to choose from – are coming together nicely.
And the excitement is building. Big excitement. More & more each day, as the countdown clock ticks down and departure day draws near.
But you’re an adult, you’ve been living on this earth for some time now, you’ve had your share of surprises and (let’s face it) disappointments. And so there’s always that little voice in the back of your mind asking, “what if the reality of Japan doesn’t meet my expectations?”
Natural question to ask.
And we’ve got answers.
In this article, we’re going to talk about maybe the biggest factor that takes some visitors to Japan aback: Crowds.
Will Tourist Crowds Be a Dealbreaker for Your Japan Holiday?
Chances are, you've seen a metric truck-ton of Japan travel content with images of peaceful temples, quiet bamboo groves or idyllic streets lined with cherry blossoms. And yeah, we’ve got some of that here in Japan, to be sure. But it’s not only that, not by a long shot.
The reality is that Japan is popular. Really popular.
Tourism has exploded in recent years, and with it comes one undeniable truth: many of the places you're most excited to visit are going to be crowded.
This isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Japan’s popularity is well-earned. It's a fascinating country with so much to offer. And most people who visit Japan for the first time can’t wait to come back again!
So that should answer the question, “are tourist crowds a dealbreaker for a Japan holiday?”
Still, understanding the crowds and knowing what to expect will help you enjoy your trip without feeling overwhelmed or disappointed.
Tourist Hotspots: Be Ready for the Masses
Some of Japan's most iconic destinations are also magnets for tourists.
Kyoto, for example, is often imagined as a city of lovely Japanese gardens and quiet shrines & temples.
And yes, Kyoto is deservedly famous for its gardens and shrines and temples. But it also has throngs of visitors filing into the same spots, pretty much year-round these days (at the biggest sights, anyhow), and especially during cherry blossom season and autumn when the leaves turn those lovely hues that even a color-blind person like me can recognize.
A good (or bad) example is the Arashiyama Bamboo Grove. You’ve probably seen photos of an empty path flanked by towering green stalks. That’s the image. The reality of what you’ll likely encounter, though, is a steady stream of fellow tourists walking the same route.
A preview of how to beat the crowds: (1) Go early, like, be there for sunrise early; or (2) hit up another spot with a bamboo grove (there’s lots of bamboo, this is Japan after all!).
Similarly, Kinkakuji (the Golden Pavilion) hardly feels like a spiritual retreat – more like a theme park with its large and constantly flowing crowds that parade past that shimmering (on a sunny day, anyhow) golden temple roof..
It’s not just Kyoto, though.
Tokyo’s Asakusa district is often packed with tourists visiting Sensoji Temple or shopping on Nakamise Street. So much so, in fact, that locals have more or less stopped going there (unless with visiting guests in tow) – and this is a theme in many places in Japan recently, becoming a “victim of its own success.” The good news, of course, is that Tokyo has plenty of great local neighborhoods without most of the tourist crowds.
In Osaka, Dotonbori is nearly always bustling with visitors lining up for takoyaki and snapping canal pics of the Glico running man. Locals? They steer clear of this part of town.
Even in smaller cities like Kanazawa or Nara, you’ll find plenty of fellow travelers. The trick is to know when to go where… and how.
Seasonal Crowds: Timing Can Make or (Almost) Break It
Tourism in Japan has a seasonal component.
Cherry blossom season (late March to early April) and autumn foliage season (November/December) are the peak times, drawing travelers from all over the world and across Japan. Hotels book up months in advance, and popular sightseeing spots can feel like a sea of selfie poses and a cacophony of languages that are not Japanese.
Summer brings its own wave of visitors, especially during popular Japanese festivals like Kyoto’s Gion Matsuri or fireworks events in cities across the country – but even more so because North Americans tend to travel more during the summer months.
And don’t underestimate the New Year period, when domestic travelers visit shrines and temples en masse.
If you're hoping for fewer crowds, try to plan your Japan trip in the off-seasons… or, well, shoulder seasons anyway. January and February travels in Japan can be quieter, though cold weather might deter some outdoor plans. Late May and early June are also less crowded before the rainy season and summer humidity set in.
Granted, not everyone can get the “perfect” timing for their vacations. A lot of folks have use-it-or-lose-it vacation time, and sometimes the only time to use it coincides with a peak tourist season in Japan.
If that happens to you, don’t lose hope. There are still ways to beat the crowds. Keep reading on to find out how.
Waiting for Restaurants Is Real – But You Totally Don’t Have To
It’s not just popular shrines & temples and social-media-driven tourist spots; some restaurants, especially those with great reviews, content-creator buzz or Michelin stars, have long waits.
In Tokyo and many other cities in Japan, ramen shops with cult followings can see lines wrapping around the block. Even casual spots like conveyor-belt sushi restaurants in popular areas might require you to take a number or queue up.
In smaller towns or regions with fewer dining options, you may still find crowds, particularly during lunch or dinner peak times. Booking ahead can help, but many smaller places don’t take reservations.
When that happens, when you see a line, you’ve got two choices:
1. Be patient and wait – the food is usually (though not always) worth it
2. Find another restaurant
For me, it’s usually the second option. I’m not usually one who’ll wait very long for food in Japan, simply because we know that there’s probably somewhere else nearby that has great food without testing our patience.
Now, having said that, we don’t mind waiting, say, 15-20 minutes in line for a restaurant that we know is good, either because we’ve been before or friends/family have recommended it. But we also try to mitigate the wait times by going at off-hours or the least crowded times possible.
Still, anything more than a half hour wait, and that meal had better be something amazing that we’ll be remembering and raving about for a long time to come (which does set us up for disappointment from time to time, admittedly). That’s why, 9 times out of 10, we’ll eschew that line and go chew down some food elsewhere.
Crowds at Second-Tier Destinations
Even if you head outside the “Golden Route” of Tokyo, Kyoto & Osaka, you might not escape the crowds entirely.
Places like Miyajima Island, Hakone or Takayama may appear quieter – but they still see plenty of tourist traffic, especially during holidays.
For example, the torii gate on the water at Miyajima is a major photo op, and its paths can feel packed, particularly if you’re there midday. Similarly, Hakone’s sightseeing spots like the pirate ship on Lake Ashi or the Hakone Ropeway can get congested during peak travel periods.
That’s why a good strategy is your best friend when it comes to managing and avoiding crowds.
Just like the restaurant scenario above, figure out when the peak hours/days are for those sites & cities, versus when the off-peak periods occur. Then, to the greatest extent possible, go off-peak.
Or, if you’ve already purchased your flights to Japan / are otherwise locked in to your vacation calendar slots, use the following strategies (and a healthy amount of patience) to make the most of your trip even with the expected crowds.
Travel Bliss in Japan: How to Manage the Crowds
Crowds don’t have to ruin your Japan travel experience. With some planning, you can still enjoy everything this amazing destination has to offer.
Start Early: Even the most popular tourist sights tend to be less crowded early in the day (Morning People, rejoice!). If you can arrive right when they open, you’re probably going to have a better experience.
Visit Lesser-Known Places: While everyone heads to Kinkakuji in Kyoto, why not check out temples that are moderately popular but still relatively quiet like Nanzenji or Tofukuji (except in the fall/spring peaks).
Travel Midweek: Avoid weekends when possible, as locals join the tourist crowds; or, when your travels fall on a weekend, employ the previous two strategies.
Be Flexible: If a place is too crowded for your liking, have a backup plan. Japan has no shortage of amazing things to see and do.
Bring Patience & a Plan to Japan
The crowds in Japan are a reflection of its global appeal.
As a client of ours recently said, “if it sucked, people wouldn’t come here.”
Indeed. No sucking to be found around here. Plenty of crowds, but know that you know the what & how of it all, you’ll be in good shape.