KYOTO--To be far from the madding crowd here is to live the impossible dream ... unless you happen to be an early bird.

But it’s not just residents who are thoroughly fed up with the ancient city’s streets and sights being overrun with visitors.

Tourists, too, bemoan the wretched overcrowding that can make sightseeing a tiresome chore rather than a delight.

To be fair, though, Kyoto--a cultural gem that is unrivaled by any other major city in Japan--has always been a busy spot.

Just ask Takayuki Ikura, who heads Maimai Kyoto, which organizes sightseeing tours in Kyoto.

“The pedestrian approach to Kiyomizudera temple is referred to as the most ‘bustling’ thing in ‘Makura no Soshi’ (The Pillow Book),” said Ikura, 37, referring to a collection of essays, anecdotes and poems collected by a noblewoman in the Heian Period (794-1185) imperial court. 

“Kyoto has been home to places that have always been packed since ancient times,” he said. “But it is still possible to travel around quietly if one evades peak periods. Morning tourism may prove to be an effective option.”

Temple operators and tourism authorities are increasingly shifting to activities that cater to patrons in the early morning to help spread the load and reduce foot traffic as the day progresses.

With the onset of early summer, domestic and foreign visitors descend on the city in waves like tsunami.

ZEN AND NOW

Zen meditation sessions attended by foreign visitors are becoming increasingly common. Held in the early morning, a recent session at the main hall of a minor Daijiin facility in the Daitokuji temple complex in the city’s Kita Ward involved seven male and female devotees.

At 8 a.m., the deep silence was only interrupted by the chirping of bulbuls.

At 9 a.m., the devotees got a taste of a traditional breakfast served on low tables at a Buddhist-style vegetarian eatery in the temple’s precincts.

The early bird Zen program is jointly organized by the temple’s operator, the Kyoto city government and the Kyoto City Tourism Association.

Rina Hashiguchi, 30, a company employee from nearby Osaka Prefecture, was glad she attended.

“I was able to have time and space here all to myself,” she said. “It offered the most luxurious experience.”

Hashiguchi got so caught up in the attraction of morning tours free from congestion that she went to faraway temples like Kiyomizudera, located in the foothills of Mount Otowa, which opens its gate at 6 a.m. The temple founded in the early Heian Period is part of the Historic Monuments of Ancient Kyoto. 

“Finding places to have breakfast was often difficult,” she recalled. “My hope is that I will have more options in the early morning in the future.”

Sisters in their 30s traveling around Kyoto for four days and three nights said “having tourist spots to visit early in the morning allows us to make effective use of our limited time.”

Like Daitokuji, sightseeing locations that open their doors to early risers are drawing hordes of visitors.

Situated 10 minutes on foot from JR Kyoto Station, the Namikawa Shoten Kyoto-style tofu store opens daily at 6 a.m. sharp.

Machiko Yamanaka, 68, a part-time worker from Nagoya who came to Kyoto for sightseeing, picked up tofu there and its deep-fried “abura-age” counterpart one morning on her way home.

“Being able to buy freshly made tofu in itself can be said to be an experience unique to Kyoto,” she said.

A “sento” public bathhouse known as Sauna no Umeyu that sits along the Takasegawa river south of Gojo-dori street offers a morning bathing service from 6 a.m. at weekends.

Its prime location close to Kiyomizudera and other key tourist areas is winning over non-Japanese tourists, too.

With the growing popularity of an early morning soak, other sento in the city are following suit and starting operations for early risers on weekends.

VISITOR BLUES

A tourism trend survey compiled by Kyoto city in June found that visitor numbers dropped to under 30 million during much of the COVID-19 pandemic but recovered to 43.6 million in 2022.

Another city study uncovered a major challenge in efforts to help visitors meet their expectations: Japanese sightseers viewed “congestion” as one of the most “disappointing” factors during their visits to Kyoto.

City residents also complain that “tourist packed municipal buses are inaccessible to us.”

Publicizing early bird tourism was proposed to counteract those issues.

The Kyoto City Tourism Association incorporated a dedicated page for morning tours into its official website so the appeal of early strolls can be promoted by area.

Targeting foreign visitors to Japan as well, the site is offered in English, Chinese, Korean, French and Spanish. It features content about morning and nightlife activities.

“We will be leading non-Japanese tourists to experience programs early in the morning from now on as well,” said an association representative.

SEE MORE, STAY LONGER

Aside from mitigating congestion, there is another objective in pushing morning tourism.

Kyoto boasts few nighttime attractions because most temples and shrines stop accepting visitors in the evening. Many outlets along shopping streets in the central part of the city close at 8 p.m.

Critics have long complained about the city’s failure to encourage out-of-towners to stay “one more night.”

“We will be going all-out to encourage more people to stay overnight or spend two nights here rather than make a day trip,” said Masato Hamasaki, a senior official of the Kyoto City Tourism Association.

MAKING AN EARLY START

Here are a few pointers for those who want to pack more into their busy day:

Funaoka Onsen, a bathhouse designated as a tangible cultural property by the central government, opens at 8 a.m. on Sundays. The fee is 490 yen ($3.50). It sits on the foot of Mount Funaokayama, famous for shooting photos of the Gozan no Okuribi festival.

A minor Komyoin facility in the Tofukuji temple complex opens its garden to visitors at 7 a.m. for 300 yen. Visitors can relax in the early morning silence while marveling at the scenery of a garden designed by landscape architect Mirei Shigemori (1896-1975).

Tourists can take part in morning rituals at Toji temple, Higashi Honganji temple, Nishi Honganji temple, Chionin temple and Chishakuin temple, among many others. Services start around 6 a.m.

Morning Zen meditation sessions and similar events on Sundays are available at Tofukuji temple, Nanzenji temple and Kenninji temple’s Ryosokuin facility from around 6 a.m.