I imagine everyone who lives in a tourist destination knows the feeling: tourists are a blessing and a curse.
Tourist attractions don’t just become what they are for no reason. There’s something about the destination that draws curious people to it. And yet, when the place is too full of people, it could cast a shadow over the local charm. It could even turn the destination into a snare lacking in authenticity. Sound familiar?
That was the vibe in Kyoto until March 2020. This city is truly stunning, and has countless historic and modern places that are gorgeous to behold, but in certain seasons you can’t see the bamboo forest for the trees. There will always be the secret spots that almost no one goes to, but I’m talking more about the “must-see sites” and the city center. In normal times I’ve observed many locals complaining that “there are too many tourists in Kyoto”, and I’m sure there’s a similar sentiment in cities like Tokyo and Osaka.
But suddenly there were no tourists at all! If you can remember the post I wrote (mostly photographs) in May, you’ll certainly remember how jarring the sight of the city was. One of the primary arteries of many locals’ livelihood was cut off in an instant. Abruptly the noise, the mess and the crowdedness turned into something everyone was hoping for, just so that things would return to normal.
With so many empty rooms in hotels and the risk of the Olympics being postponed again, there seems to be renewed local appreciation for tourists.
But as the cheesy expression goes: we never appreciate something enough until we’ve lost it.
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