Kyoto vs Tokyo

Tokyo leads Kyoto by 10 points on the CIRA Index, 81 to 71. Kyoto grades better on 6 measures, Tokyo on 5; the same 35 measures from public sources for both.

Scores by each organisation's criteria

• CIRA Index: Kyoto 71, Tokyo 81
• OECD: Kyoto 74, Tokyo 79
• UN Tourism: Kyoto 81, Tokyo 87
• UNDRR: Kyoto 73, Tokyo 74

Theme by theme

• Demand and seasonality: Kyoto 75, Tokyo 92
• Economy and jobs: Kyoto 83, Tokyo 100
• Climate and hazards: Kyoto 55, Tokyo 45
• Water and environment: Kyoto 88, Tokyo 81
• Community and housing: Kyoto 75, Tokyo 75
• Access and continuity: Kyoto 83, Tokyo 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.
• Wildfire and storm hazard: medium (region figure) (World Bank GFDRR ThinkHazard, current (retrieved 2026)). Grade 2/4.
• 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.
• Rent growth: 3.6 % change in rents over the last 12 months (Global Property Guide / Statistics Bureau of Japan (SBJ), Q3 2025). Between 3 and 6: grade 3/4.
• Resident support for tourism: 70.1 % of residents who say tourism benefits them or the city (City of Kyoto (Industry and Tourism Bureau), 'Reiwa 7 (2025) Survey on Citizen Attitudes Toward Kyoto Tourism', Sep–Oct 2025). At or above 70: grade 4/4.

Where Tokyo is stronger

• Domestic share of nights: 48.5 % of nights by residents of the same country (region figure) (Japan Tourism Agency (MLIT), Overnight Travel Statistics Survey (2024 Final), 2024). At or above 45: grade 4/4.
• Average length of stay: 5.2 nights per visitor (region figure) (Japan Tourism Agency (JTA) International Tourist Survey / Osaka Prefecture analysis, Apr–Dec 2023). At or above 3.5: grade 4/4.
• Income per head: 78,694 GDP per capita, USD PPP (region figure) (OECD Regional Statistics via Cabinet Office / OECD, 2021). At or above 60,000: grade 4/4.
• Tourism intensity: 7.8 visitor nights per resident per year (region figure) (Japan Tourism Agency (Overnight Travel Statistics Survey 2024 Final) & Statistics Bureau of Japan (Population Estimates as of Oct 1, 2024), 2024). Between 5 and 10: grade 3/4.
• Access redundancy: 4 independent ways in: international airport, intercity rail, port, motorway (Tokyo Metropolitan Government / Bureau of Port and Harbor / Tokyo Convention & Visitors Bureau, 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 · Tokyo in full

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