Kyoto vs Osaka

Osaka leads Kyoto by 2 points on the CIRA Index, 73 to 71. Kyoto grades better on 5 measures, Osaka on 5; the same 35 measures from public sources for both.

Scores by each organisation's criteria

• CIRA Index: Kyoto 71, Osaka 73
• OECD: Kyoto 74, Osaka 73
• UN Tourism: Kyoto 81, Osaka 80
• UNDRR: Kyoto 73, Osaka 73

Theme by theme

• Demand and seasonality: Kyoto 75, Osaka 75
• Economy and jobs: Kyoto 83, Osaka 81
• Climate and hazards: Kyoto 55, Osaka 45
• Water and environment: Kyoto 88, Osaka 75
• Community and housing: Kyoto 75, Osaka 83
• Access and continuity: Kyoto 83, Osaka 92

Where Kyoto is stronger

• Largest foreign market: 20 % of international arrivals or nights (The Japan News / Kyoto Municipal Government Tourism Survey, 2025). Between 15 and 20: grade 3/4.
• Extreme heat days: 11.4 days a year at or above 35°C (last 5 full years) (ERA5 reanalysis via Open-Meteo, 2021–2025). Between 5 and 15: grade 3/4.
• Tropical nights: 91.6 nights a year with a minimum at or above 20°C (last 5 full years) (ERA5 reanalysis via Open-Meteo, 2021–2025). Between 60 and 100: grade 1/4.
• Green space: 35 % of the urban area that is green or tree-covered (City of Kyoto, 'Kyoto City Basic Green Plan' (京都市緑の基本計画), 2010). Between 30 and 40: grade 3/4.
• Short-let density: 0.5 short-term rental listings per 100 dwellings (AirDNA & Statistics Bureau of Japan (2023 Housing and Land Survey / Kyoto City), 2023–2026). At or below 0.5: grade 4/4.

Where Osaka is stronger

• Domestic share of nights: 55.1 % of nights by residents of the same country (region figure) (Japan Tourism Agency (MLIT) / Osaka City Tourism Strategy Baseline Materials, Overnight Travel Statistics Survey (宿泊旅行統計調査), 2024). At or above 45: grade 4/4.
• Income per head: 45,505 GDP per capita, USD PPP (region figure) (OECD Regional Statistics / Cabinet Office Japan, 2021). Between 45,000 and 60,000: grade 3/4.
• Tourism intensity: 6.4 visitor nights per resident per year (region figure) (Japan Tourism Agency (Overnight Travel Statistics Survey 2024) & Osaka Prefectural Government Statistics Division, 2024). Between 5 and 10: grade 3/4.
• Rent growth: 3 % change in rents over the last 12 months (Savills Japan, 'Osaka Residential Markets' / 'Residential Leasing' Report, 2024). At or below 3: grade 4/4.
• Access redundancy: 4 independent ways in: international airport, intercity rail, port, motorway (City of Osaka and Port & Airport Authorities, 2026). At or above 4: grade 4/4.

Country context (World Economic Forum)

• Japan: #1 of 110 in the WEF Travel & Tourism Development Index 2026
• Japan: #1 of 110 in the WEF Travel & Tourism Development Index 2026

Kyoto in full · Osaka in full

The CIRA Index ranking · City vs city · How the index works · CIRA Studio · Put your city in the pilot