The Night Train to Kyoto's Back Streets

Kyoto by day can feel like a theme park of itself: selfie sticks at Fushimi Inari, queues at Kinkaku-ji. But stay past dusk, and the old capital exhales.

Gion after rain

The best time to walk Shirakawa-minami-dori is right after a shower. The stones shine, the lanterns double in the puddles, and if you're lucky you'll catch a maiko hurrying to an appointment, the clack of her okobo sandals echoing down the lane. Please don't chase her for photos.

Nishiki Market, the right way

Arrive at 10 a.m., when stalls open but the crowds haven't. Try:

• Tamagoyaki, a sweet rolled omelette on a stick.
• Tsukemono pickles at a shop open since the Edo period.
• Tako tamago, a baby octopus with a quail egg tucked inside its head. Trust me.

Temples without the crowds

• Hōnen-in — a moss-covered gate and raked sand mounds, almost always empty.
• Gio-ji — a tiny thatched hall surrounded by a carpet of moss.
• Fushimi Inari at 6 a.m. — climb past the first crossroads and the tourists thin to nothing.

Stay in a machiya

Rent a restored wooden townhouse in Higashiyama. Sleeping on tatami, with a cedar tub and a tiny courtyard garden, changes how you experience the city.

In Kyoto, the most important thing is often what is left out.