The Safest (and Most Dangerous) Neighborhoods in Kyōto, According to a Freelance Photographer Who Got Lost 47 Times
it’s raining sideways today, and i’m pretty sure that’s a metaphor for my life in kyōto right now.
okay let’s be real - kyōto is stunning with a capital S. but it can also punch you in the face with a bicycle or roof tile depending on where you’re standing. i’ve been living here for six months shooting portraits of strangers and trying not to look touristy while doing it (impossible, btw). i’ve learned a few things about which parts of the city will keep your ass safe, and which ones feel like they’re pulling you into a yakuza movie.
*tennōji might be small, but this place is a madman's playground. i was there last tuesday at 2am shooting timelapses - supposedly "safe", right? yeah... walked past one too many guys with tattoos bigger than my face and two girls arguing about cryptocurrency. lesson learned: don't trust the map. this area has had a slight uptick in tourist-related thefts, especially around kyoto station after midnight. lots of drunk backpackers here, too, so walking alone = dicing with danger.
on the flip side, if you want to feel like you're in a miyazaki movie (but with less flying pigs), take the bus to sakyo-ku. wide streets, sushi places with only 12 yelp reviews, and old men quietly sweeping brooms all day long. feels like a village plopped into a city by accident.
"be careful around nishi-ku," someone whispered to me in line for coffee last week. "that’s where the host clubs never close."
true story - i spent one wild saturday night in nishi-ku thinking “surely it’s not that bad.” wrong. next morning i woke up next to my camera bag intact, but my dignity was gone. allegedly, police reports suggest over 300 incidents of assault or public disturbance in that district last year. so if you’re out looking for trouble and want to document it, bring backup. or film crew. or both.
not every dirty street is dangerous though. people warned me about nishijin area because of how quiet it gets after 9pm, but honestly that’s exactly what i needed. dark alleys with nobody around? perfect for drone shots. also perfect for bumping into someone who asks if you sell watches. pick your poison.
for context, according to a reddit thread about housing safety, these are the safest places:
- higashiyama (great views, good vibes)
- sakyo-ku (creepy-abandoned-but-not-scary energy)
- ukyo-ku (low-key, feels suburban even in downtown)
those tend to be more expensive too. zip recruiter says average monthly rent is ¥48,000 (~$315) for a single room in safer areas. meanwhile, somewhere sketchier like parts of nishijin can drop to ¥35,000 (~$225), but then you deal with yakitori fumes and possibly microtransactions in illegal casinos. win some lose some.
“you should check out fushimi at night” said this drunk guy last month while i was refilling my camera battery in a Lawson. imagine that*. fushimi is full of culture and pride, but parts of it get sketch after dark. trust me, i made the mistake and a priest blessed my lens out of pity.
the point is: kyōto seems safe until it isn’t. always keep an eye out - not just for drunk monks or pathologically honest bartenders, but for the weird cultural cues that scream “run.” if someone stares for longer than 10 seconds, they either want your instagram tag or their cousin is missing.
weather here is basically: sometimes, rain. sometimes, hot and muggy. and sometimes hail that hits you sideways like a takeaway menu from an expired franchise. if you pack clothes in a duffel, keep kyoto light and breathable. maybe throw in one ironic shirt. it helps when negotiating with spirits or angry monks. not kidding.
[url_links]
yelp - nishi ku nightlife list | reddit post on safest neighborhoods | police stats in english via pdf in japanese | tripadvisor fosca thread about safety
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