Kyoto has developed a love-hate relationship with tourists: It is one of the most popular cities to visit in Japan besides Tokyo, recording 8.31 million overseas visitors in 2019.
But while tourism brings in vast amounts of yen (estimated spending is at around ¥34,000 per visitor), it has also led to the city frequently being cited by locals as overcrowded with visitors, its residents at odds with the mass tourism that brings so many people to the city.
It is rare to see Kyoto’s most popular tourist spots with so few people, but due to COVID-19, the number of visitors to Japan, and to Kyoto, has plunged to record low levels, leaving many of these places deserted.