So, we are now back home and I'm procrastinating doing some work, so it seems like a good time to post an update of my experiences this time round.

Overall, I found the crowds and general behaviour much less of a problem than much of media (social or print) had been making out - but that's not a surprise. I did see some shifts, but less of a shift than I'd seen between my first visit (17 years ago) and previous one (10 years ago).

So, observations:

Tokyo - it's a big city, so I didn't expect to see the effects of mass tourism here in the way I did elsewhere, and honestly, I didn't really see much. Is that where we went? I don't know. The Tiktokification of tourism does seem real, and I had no desire to spend significant time in Shinjuku/Shibuya, so even Meiji Jingu, Senso-ji and the Skytree seemed pretty relaxed - on a par with previous visits. But then, we spent more time in places like Pokémon and Nintendo shops this time, so maybe that's the difference!

Nagoya - OK, it's a big industrial city, and we were primarily here for Legoland, but really enjoyed being around here. Actually got to practice my ropey Japanese. Warm welcome everwhere.

Kyoto - where to start? All in all, I found it marginally less busy than last time, but that was primarily down to what appeared to be a shift away from tour groups to independent tourists. I did see some rubbish behaviour, and some incoming crowds. But, of course, my perspective is one of a fellow tourist, not of a resident (and as a former resident of a busy tourist city, I did see and sympathise with a number of things).

• Kiyomizu-dera we went to around 9am (so not exactly crack of dawn early) and it was pretty chilled. Only irritation was one fellow tourist trying to move us out the way while we were enjoying the view, to take photos (it wasn't a photo spot). Even the hotspots of Sannen-zaka and Ninen-zaka, and round Houkan-ji were OK an hour or two later - compared to previous visits when we ended up going back to these after dark, they were so packed during the day. Some people really need to get a sense of spatial awareness, though.
• We stayed in Higashiyama-ku, near the foot of the hill that leads to Kiyomizu-dera. I don't remember this area being half as busy as it is now, nor the sheer number of shops that have become tourist-orientated. This I do recognise from living in York, for example - seeing my favourite shops close and being replaces by Harry Potter tat was always galling! I also don't remember the konbinis being sold out in the way that they were. Thankfully the supermarkets and depachika seem to have escaped this phenomenon.
• Fushimi Inari was another early but not ridiculously early visit. It's a humid 37C and you're climbing a great big hill, you want to be early enough. Took the Keihan line down, and it was pretty relaxed, but was disappointed that already at the station, there was loads of litter (mostly Starbucks cups). It was pretty quiet, and we went about halfway up (to the pond). Barely any crowds, and practically solo after the double-path section. However, we took the JR line back into Kyoto proper and the trains coming the other way were *hoaching*. Really unpleasantly crowded. And the temperature had shot up by this point.
• Some of the child-friendly attractions in the city (the aquarium, the railway museum) were really great! Particularly for those rainy summer days.
• We ended up on one of the tourist express buses, trying to get back to our wee house from Kyoto station. I had clearly forgotten my rule for getting around in Kyoto - don't take the bus. Even if you need an awkward change at Tofukuji, even Yamashina, or crossing the bridge to catch the Hankyu line. The tourist express buses primarily address the issue of the main buses serving tourists sites being overcrowded. Fair enough. But the fare is hefty (Y500, even for a short hop to Kyomizu-dera) and the stops/crowds aren't the rate determining factors during the day - it's the traffic. And the fact that the buses seem to have an inverse-TARDIS effect of managing to carry a tiny number of people for their size. So we reminded ourselves of this rule, and we were happy. And judging from the questionnaire we were given waiting for the tourist express, they've realised that many tourists have figured this out already too.
• So, Kinkaku-ji. By this point we'd remembered the golden rule and got a Go taxi from Emmachi station. So glad we did. And this might be one of my best visits to the temple. This was the middle of the day, but the giant tour groups just weren't here. The viewpoints were not nearly as crowded, and the pathways not in the slightest jostly. A pleasure to visit.
• Nara was interesting. Last time we went was 10 years ago, and it was very quiet. This time, it was a lot busier, but not unpleasantly so. The cracker vendors have clearly discovered an ingredient that sends the deer into a shorts-pulling frenzy, but again, head just 10 minutes further into the park and you can escape the madness. I read a report that said that domestic tourism to Kyoto was down, but Nara was up - and you could see this. Even on the Aoniyoshi sightseeing express back in the afternoon, every single person in the buffet car was ordering in Japanese. (The train was great btw, got some last minute seats by chance, it was a shame to get off a Tambabashi!). I have to praise the tourist centre in Nara for doing some lovely cultural activities with kids - our son absolutely loved this.
• Central Kyoto (Kawaramachi/Karasuma) was busy, but it was a few days before Obon. Nishiki market was still looking fairly overcrowded, but none of the lovely shops further along, nor the food stuff in the Takashimaya was in the slightest bit busy, which suited us.
• Luup bikes are excellent! They look tiny, but this 1.85m Scot did just fine with them. The "plan a route to a parking spot" function on the app is particularly helpful.
• There are still moments of pure, peaceful magic around the city, and it's surprisingly easy to find them. We didn't get a chance to head up to the Philosopher's Path or the chain of temples up that way this time, but just taking a slightly meandering path through the districts in and around where we were staying led us to peaceful, beautiful little neighbourhood temples and shrines, and the river path, despite being next to a busy road, feels like it's just you, herons, swallows and a handful of speeding cyclists.
• Arashiyama was another place that was busier than previous visits, but the make-up of the crowds had changed how it felt. Again, fewer big groups. We opted to stay here a couple of nights, so we got to see the bamboo grove, Tenryu-ji and the monkey park, as well as the riverside parks, when they were quiet. It was noticeable again, that the shops have pivoted to be tourist-orientated. The Lawson by the station struggled to keep up with demand, so any supplies ended up coming from the Fresco up at Rokuoin. I wonder how this affects residents.

The other phenomenon I noticed vs previous visits was the placards. Little signs given to tourists, or foreigners in general. Where it used to be reserved for things like onsen etiquette, this has clearly become a popular way of communicating, which is fair enough. But every placard tells a story. The man walking around at Tambabashi station with a sign explaining the Limited Express supplements (fair enough, it's confusing that there are so many differences between the different railways). Refund policies. The cards at the Skytree cafe telling you you're not allowed to steal the crockery... A couple had me asking whether people actually do this!

I should also add that there were many cicadas, and I didn't eat them.