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Tourists keen to visit Kyoto attractions but equally keen to avoid big crowds are increasingly getting up with the lark to put in a spot of morning sightseeing. With the easing of COVID-19 restrictions and border controls, Kyoto’s temples, shrines and hotels are looking to cash in on these early risers.
A little after 7:30 a.m., about 90 tourists enjoyed looking at the variously colored foliage of maple trees and pines reflecting on the surface of the pond in a garden at Tenryuji temple, a World Heritage site in Kyoto’s Arashiyama district.
The temple is a popular draw and sees an uninterrupted flow of people during the day. However, the early morning visitors were able to soak up the cool air free from hustle and bustle while occasionally snapping photos. A satisfied-looking 36-year-old tourist from Britain said it was “worth getting up early to visit the site.”
The temple is opening at 7:30 a.m. — one hour earlier than usual — through Nov. 30 to coincide with the changing colors of the autumn leaves.
“The beauty of the morning light shining on the garden is exceptional,” a temple official said. “It’s a real must-see experience.”
The trend to encourage morning sightseeing began prior to the coronavirus pandemic as part of measures to ease tourist congestion in Kyoto, which was attracting more than 50 million tourists a year. An economic ripple effect is also expected, as more tourists are motivated to stay overnight in Kyoto in anticipation of morning trips.
