Journal
Notes from a Kyoto local
Small stories from the city I walk every day — where locals eat, the festival before the crowds, the quiet after dark.
What to Eat at Nishiki Market
Five things I actually point my guests toward — and the rule that matters most: please don't eat while you walk.
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Nishiki
Best Time to Visit Nishiki Market
The honest answer isn't the one most guides give. Come around 10:00, when the shutters are up but the crowds haven't arrived — and know that by late afternoon the shops start to close.
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Planning
The Least Crowded Time to Visit Kyoto
February is the month my tours sit empty — which is exactly why I'd send you then. And the month I'd avoid is August.
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Higashiyama
Higashiyama at Night
At night Higashiyama is still wonderfully empty. Walk it under the orange streetlamps — and on a rainy night, when the wet stone glows, it's most beautiful of all.
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Gion Matsuri
Gion Matsuri Yoiyama: the Nights Before the Crowds
When the floats go up, I know summer has arrived. The night I love most is a few before the procession — lanterns, music, and the streets still quiet.
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Nishiki
A Local Morning at Nishiki Market
The Nishiki I love best is the one at eight in the morning — before the shutters go up for visitors, when the shops run by Kyoto locals are busy with the day's prep.