I loved Kyoto. Where are the crowds? I don't notice the lower half as being too dark, but there is definitely something going on at the extreme left edge of the frame.
@toffle...thanks for your comment. yes, that's what i meant. i can't remember if a vehicle was exiting the frame or if something happened during development...in any case...the crowds? since i live quite close to kyoto and venture there regularly, i often wander off the beaten path, though even then it can be challenging to find ãspaceã.
Outside of the dark to light aspect it's an interesting scene. I can see your point of a possible intrusion with a vehicle on the left side too. That could easily have affected the view there. Regardless, the composition seems to work as a very candid shot overall.