I think I need at least one post to breakup all the isolation stories going around. I figured I would think back to happier days and do another city smack down: Kyoto or Tokyo, which to spend the bulk of your trip in? A common question asked when I got back from Japan was which city should I visit, Tokyo or Kyoto. After a resounding both…the next question was, OK, which city should one spend more time in Tokyo or Kyoto?
When deciding whether to allocate more time in Tokyo or Kyoto, you need to look at your travel style and interests. For me (spoiler alert) when I visit Japan again, I will spend more time in Kyoto. This is because the city fits my personality more. Both have so much to offer but are very different in feel and look. Each has its charm, and both have a place in my heart. So, when choosing whether to spend more time in Tokyo or Kyoto it will help to look at the below characteristics.
Round #1 Things to Do: Tokyo or Kyoto
I will start by saying both places probably have more things to do than one can get to on any normal trip. Which city, Tokyo or Kyoto, has more things to keep you busy depends on what kind of traveler you are. If you want energy, shopping, nightlife, and an abundance of bars and small food alleys…Tokyo is your place.
Now if you are more laid back and want to see temples, parks, monkey’s, bamboo forests and love the possibility of being attacked by a boar, Kyoto is the winner. As I wrote here, I had some of my best days in Kyoto. Just walking the streets or strolling Pontocho Alley is my idea of a vacation. You will just stumble on multiple temples and can get lost in the environment in a way I would not want to in Tokyo. I certainly wouldn’t call walking the streets of Tokyo, relaxing by any stretch of the imagination.
Now if you are into nightlife, Tokyo is far superior to Kyoto. It felt like Tokyo at night never stopped. The glaring lights of Shinjuku made me feel as if I was in a thousand Times Squares, only enjoyable. As mentioned, shopping in Tokyo is plentiful, head over to Ginza to buy items at double the cost of what it would be at home!
Deciding between Kyoto or Tokyo in terms of activities really depends on what you want to do or who you are with. For a couple or a more laid-back person go to Kyoto. If you are a group of party maniacs or a single man (looking to mingle) Tokyo for sure. In pure volume of things to do I will give the edge to Tokyo, due to its size.
So, when deciding between Tokyo and Kyoto it is a bit difficult to choose.
Round One Things to do in Tokyo or Kyoto: Tokyo by a hair…
Round #2 Kyoto or Tokyo: Food
I had some of my best meals in Kyoto. I went into great lengths about it in this post here… Great Sushi, outstanding steak, It is the land of a thousand belly rolls. On the other hand Tokyo must be the land of ten thousand double chins because the food is outstanding as well.
The sheer amount of food in Tokyo is what makes it so good. The city is huge and for some reason there is a restaurant in every other store. There was also food at any time of night, I proved this when eating Ramen at 3:45 AM in Ichiran. You can go to the Tsukiji Market at the crack of dawn and have Sushi that was yanked from its family minutes earlier. Any type of Japanese food you want, along with other food, can be found in abundance in Tokyo.
In terms of little food alley ways, yes Kyoto has Pontocho Alley, but compared to “Memory Lane” and other areas, the variation and uniqueness just is not there. Both Kyoto and Tokyo have food markets, I would say I loved both equally.
The one trap is that not every place is great, but that is with most cities. Our last night we tried to get one last blow out steak meal, but I f*cked up and we didn’t get to Ginza. We ended up with an OK meal. Two lessons, 1. makes sure your last meal in any place is amazing (do your research), 2. Listen to your wife, she tried to get me to go to Ginza but I was SURE we could find something closer. Unfortunately, everything on our side of town had a 3-hour wait.
I loved the food tremendously in both cities, but if I had to choose between Tokyo and Kyoto, Tokyo wins
Round 2 Food Tokyo or Kyoto: Tokyo
Round Three Tokyo or Kyoto: Vibe/Atmosphere
Again, this is a personal choice…are you a person who thrives on chaos or do you want a more relaxing environment. The size and population of Tokyo vs. Kyoto made this one an easy decision. I feel the overall vibe of Kyoto is vastly superior to that of Tokyo for many reasons.
First Kyoto is much more walk-able than Tokyo. Do not get me wrong there are plenty of sidewalks in Tokyo, but they are filled with plenty of people. To make matters worse Tokyo feels as if it is a number of different cities. Walking from Shinjuku to Ginza takes hours (which we did).
Kyoto just felt more compact, yes, the city is still big, we did try walking to the monkey park from our hotel and had to give up. Still everything felt like a pleasant stroll in Kyoto, not the mad rush of Tokyo.
The number of temples and lack of billboards with giant lights made Kyoto stand out for me. There are beautiful parks in Tokyo, but I can never shake that manic feeling I got from the city. Kyoto on the other hand was much more peaceful. There were times we did not see another sole around us as we strolled a temple. Don’t get me wrong, Kyoto had its share of crowds. It is just that in Tokyo those crowds never stop, in Kyoto you get some peace.
Tokyo is a hard city, much like New York, Kyoto allowed me to take more serenity in.
Round Three More Time in Tokyo or Kyoto Vibe: Kyoto
Round Four Kyoto or Tokyo: History
If you are a history buff and want to spend your days exploring beautiful temples instead of city streets, then the question of where you should spend more time in Tokyo or Kyoto is easily answered. Kyoto is not only older than Tokyo but is also much more well preserved. The number of grand temples and older buildings dwarfs that of Tokyo, which has a primarily modern look.
Kyoto was established as the capital in 794, this lasted until 1868 when the capital was moved to Tokyo (Formally EDO). The city kept much of its old-world charm for two reasons. First, in 1923 the Great Kantō earthquake destroyed much of Tokyo, including many of the temples and historical sites.
19 years later the Doolittle raid, began more destruction of Tokyo. World War II spared Kyoto of much of the damage that Tokyo underwent. These two events helped transform Tokyo into a more modern city. “Interesting” fact, Kyoto was one of the original targets of the atomic bomb, but was saved by Henry L. Stimson, who loved the city.
This lucky outcome resulted in a well-preserved city with beautifully, ancient temples. It is said there are over 2000 total temples in the city. Many of the best sites were in walking distance from our hotel. I can’t say the same for you, I am not sure where you are staying, but I will assume there will be at least one massive temple close by. I spoke more about the temples in Kyoto in this post here
More Time in Tokyo or Kyoto for History lovers? Clear answer: Kyoto
Tokyo or Kyoto Expense
If money is a factor in which city to spend more time in Tokyo or Kyoto, this too is very straight forward. I will keep airfare out of this, I believe there will be little difference flying into either of these cities from the United States.
In general Kyoto is about 30% less expensive than Tokyo. This is factoring in food, drinks, and hotels. I put together a more in-depth post about how much you can expect to spend in Japan. This is only part of the story in my opinion, because almost all the things to do in Kyoto are free. There are endless Temples to explore and I really do not think we spent much on any of them.
Most things to do in Tokyo involved reaching into one’s pocket. Whether it is enjoying Tokyo’s nightlife or shopping during the day you will be spending money. It didn’t feel as if there were as many grand (free) temples in Tokyo, certainly not as plentiful as Kyoto. Even parks like Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden had a cost, although well worth it.
In the end, if money is a factor in whether you will be spending more time in Tokyo or Kyoto…Kyoto wins here as well. Round 5: Kyoto
Clearly for me Kyoto is where I am going to spend the bulk of my time when I go back. I loved the city…The calmness of the streets was a great relief from that of the fast pace of Tokyo. Don’t get me wrong, I loved Tokyo, it is just that Kyoto edged it out. You might have a different opinion, take a look at the chart below to help you decide between Kyoto and Tokyo.
Winner (For Me): Kyoto….
More Time in Tokyo or Kyoto?
| Tokyo If You Like: | Kyoto If You Like: |
| Amazing Things to Do | Walk-able City with Plenty to See |
| Great Food | Still Good Food |
| A Great Nightlife | Great History |
| Great Shopping | Great Sightseeing |
| A Fast Pace City | A More Relaxed Atmosphere |
| Money isn’t a Issue | Less of an Expense |
Conclusion
As you can see deciding whether to spend more time in Kyoto or Tokyo is a personal choice. I like to relax a bit more, so the bulk of my time is well spent in Kyoto. Either way you will not go wrong, whether you spend more time in Tokyo or Kyoto, or split your time equally, you will have a great trip.
