Kyoto Before the Crowds
The trick to Arashiyama is not a secret spot — it is an alarm clock. At six in the morning the bamboo grove is empty except for one old man sweeping leaves, and the light comes through the stalks sideways. By nine it is a different planet.
Afterwards I walked the back streets toward the river, found a kissaten serving toast sets and very serious coffee, and watched the neighborhood wake up. Kyoto rewards people who start before it does.