Tokyo...if you hate big cities

[KenAdams]

DH hates big cities. He avoids London at all costs and isn't happy about spending 3 days in Tokyo (although we'll get there late afternoon on the first day and leave early on the last day, only giving us two full days there).

Is it going to be hell on earth for him? A lot of what me and DD want to see if in Tokyo (first time in Japan), so I've condensed the time down as much as possible.

I suppose my question is why Kyoto?

If you’ve got a DH who dislikes big cities and crowds I think there are other places that make more sense if what you want are temples and gardens.

I shared this blog on another thread and it might be worth taking a look. If I was travelling with someone who doesn’t like busy cities I’d be inclined to switch Kyoto for somewhere like Kanazawa or stay out in Uji rather than Kyoto and travel into Kyoto (if you really must) from there.

Your DH doesn’t like busy cities but you are spending most of your time in the three most overtouristed and crowded cities in Japan. Kyoto is three times the size of Manchester in both area and population. It’s not a small, quiet place, even leaving aside the overtourism. There are beautiful, historic cities all over Japan that are quiet and peaceful without the crowds.

https://toddfong.com/5-cities-other-than-kyoto-tokyo-in-japan/

Can't he just suck it up for two days ?

So you’re thinking Tokyo, Kyoto and Osaka? As @Takoneko says, three big cities!

Might it be stressful for your DH and therefore all of you? Are you going anywhere else in Japan? I’d be tempted to do Tokyo, and then into the Alps. (Takayama, Kanazawa would be lovely places to stay) and then Kyoto or Osaka.

Also re: your question of where to base yourselves. Osaka and Kyoto are very close to each other, 14 mins by fastest Shinkansen. I’m not sure I’d stay in both in one trip, I would stay in one and visit the other. But I’d really recommend spending time away from these big cities, not just for your DH but also to see more of Japan and have a bit more variety in your trip.

There's a few things I want to see around Kyoto that's why.

We're first timers to Japan and I find all the people who say don't go to Kyoto have seen Kyoto. I'd like to see it too.

Thank you so much I'll have a look. I have a couple of days spare in my very draft itinerary so I'll see what I can add.

We aren't bothered about Ghibli, Borderless etc.

I understand not being a Ghibli fan but the new borderless place is amazing.

I wouldn't be put off Kyoto. It's lovely. We didn't have any issues with crowded buses.

I forgot we're actually doing Hakone after Tokyo so we should have some quiet time there.

Thirded!

Just to add - I’ve also been to Kyoto (twice) and I’m afraid I’m in the camp of 'people who've been to Kyoto but don’t massively recommend it'. I mean, yes, it has stunning temples. But everyone goes there to see the temples, so it’s extremely busy. It’s also very, very spread out over a huge area and as others have said, the transport network isn’t nearly as efficient as Tokyo's so you’re dependent on packed buses for a lot of the time - and you’re on them for a long time travelling between temples (I'm a bit surprised you didn’t experience this, RollerRunner). It’s too far to walk between them and it can be extremely hot/muggy….or very rainy! Not much fun in the pouring rain.

I wouldn’t say don’t go, but I would say: be prepared for a different atmosphere to Tokyo, more hard-core tourism and much busier combined with the travel aspect, so a lot of careful route-planning needed, especially if DH isn’t keen on crowds.

I take people’s point about Kyoto, but I’m kind of with @KenAdams on this one. There are some beautiful things to see in Kyoto, and it’s worth going once to see them for yourself. We had a private guide for our first day in Kyoto which was great. She took us (by public transport) to the further out places - including Arashiyama monkeys and bamboo forest (by train) and Kinkaku-ji (bus and taxi) plus a few other temples. She knew the most efficient ways to negotiate the transport system and get from one to another, and just generally smoothed the way. I highly recommend it. We did the closer in things for ourselves - Gion and the main (packed) tourist streets and surrounding areas on foot and Fushimi Inari and Nijo Castle by train. It wasn’t difficult at all. We were there in Dec though - no doubt crowds would have been worse in spring. Get up early is my advice - even the insanely busy areas like Ninenzaka and Sannenzaka were fairly empty in the morning.

My husband and sons who do archery had a go at Kyudo, Japanese archery in Kyoto too, which was a change of pace!

One place I’d definitely recommend going to if you’re staying in Kyoto is the Miho Museum of art (closed at the moment but reopens late September). It’s another quite long bus ride but it’s a stunning, tranquil building partly-designed by I M Pei and set in an incredible landscape. The entrance is via a tunnel bored through a mountain and you're driven there on little golf buggies by uniformed employees. It feels like being in a Bond movie.

Miho Museum

Now I need to go back to Kyoto to go to this place!

Wow!

I think that’s fair enough. I bailed out on Kyoto after one day so haven’t seen most of the things on your list. For me, it wasn’t worth it and I don’t feel I’ve missed out.

If you really want to see certain things then you really just have to grit your teeth and push through the overcrowding. I’m not sure when you’re going, but we went early April which is just about the worst time for crowding, so hopefully you have a better time than us.

I would look at going somewhere quieter with your spare couple of days to give your DH a bit of a break though. Tokyo is actually the least hectic of the three cities you are going to, so I’d imagine he will find this trip quite challenging.