Notes · 4 min read

Kyoto in the rain is better

An unpopular opinion after two spring seasons of watching people fight over the same photo of the same tree.

By Ekaterina · April 22, 2026

Sakura season is beautiful. It is also, increasingly, a small stampede. If you can, go in the shoulder — late March or the very end of April — and hope for weather.

Rain empties Kyoto of a certain kind of visitor. The temples become themselves again. Moss glows. The wood smells like wood. You can hear the water in the gardens.

Pack a good umbrella. Wear shoes you can slip off. Order the extra bowl of udon. This is the version of Kyoto worth flying for.

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