Market Data 
Kyoto, Cheng’s favorite city in Japan, is a cultural mecca.
Cheng has a particular soft spot for Kyoto, which was the capital of Japan for over a thousand years until 1868, when Tokyo took its place.
Though often thought of as a natural second city to visit alongside Tokyo, Kyoto is Cheng’s undisputed No. 1 Japanese city.
The old city is lined with small walkable roads, has many temples, and boasts a riverbank lined with small houses and shops. One of Kyoto’s famous features is the Gion district, a historic neighborhood dotted with ochaya, or teahouses, run by traditional female entertainers known as geisha.
Even though it is also a tourist hot spot, Cheng said Kyoto feels more serene than Tokyo. It’s not surprising, considering the current Japanese capital’s population dwarfs the former. The latest UN data, from 2022, estimates Kyoto’s population is just over 1.46 million, a fraction of Tokyo’s 9.73 million.
“I know a lot of people love Tokyo, and I do as well, but I think Tokyo is kind of overrated, and I feel Kyoto has more in a cultural sense,” Cheng said. “It has the teahouses, it has the Gion district, all the temples, the shrines.”
“It’s just a lot calmer and peaceful,” she said, adding that the city’s qualities exemplify “Japanese culture.”
