Hey everyone, I have my first ever Japan trip coming up in late October/early November, where I'll be spending a week each in Tokyo and Kyoto. Specifically, I'll be staying in the Ueno-Okachimachi area in Tokyo, and a few km north of Kyoto Station.
As a preface, I'm not under the illusion that there won't be crowds. I'm aware of the overtourism Japan is currently facing, combined with the fact that Tokyo is already the largest city on Earth.
That being said, I did have a couple questions regarding avoiding crowds. I've done some research, but I'd just like some clarification/confirmation on these things:
- Is the overcrowding primarily just concentrated around international tourist hotspots that anyone who's spent five minutes Googling "things to do in Japan" have found?
- e.g. Sensou-ji, Fushimi Inari, Arashiyama, Kiyomizu-dera, etc.
- Is it really just as easy as going to basically any other place that's not a top Google result?
I guess I just grew slightly concerned that it's going to be shoulder-to-shoulder from the moment I step outside of my hotel rooms, based off some recent things I read. I'm hoping that's not the case, but figured I'd ask directly to people who've actually been there before just so I can have a better idea of what to expect.
by PlasmaHeat