Kyoto, Between Seasons

Everyone wants Kyoto in cherry-blossom season. We often suggest the weeks just before or after — when the city exhales, the temples empty, and the best ryokan have room to look after you properly.

The shoulder advantage

Softer light, easier reservations, and a sense of the city as it lives day to day rather than as a backdrop for photographs. It is, quietly, the better time to come.