Kyoto – long considered one of Japan’s most beautiful cities.
From its temples to its modern delights, check out the top sights of Kyoto.
Once the capital of Japan, Kyoto is a city on the island of Honshu. It is famous for its many classical Buddhist temples, gardens, imperial palaces, Shinto shrines, and traditional wooden houses.
The city is also known for its traditions, for example kaiseki dinner, which consists of many courses prepared according to precise rules, and geisha, women entertainers found mainly in the Gion district.
Kyoto is one of the oldest municipalities in Japan, having been chosen in 794 as the new seat of Japan’s imperial court by Emperor Kanmu.
The original city, named Heian-kyō, was arranged in accordance with traditional Chinese feng shui following the model of the ancient Chinese capitals of Chang’an and Luoyang.
The emperors of Japan ruled from Kyoto in the following eleven centuries until 1869.
It was the scene of several key events of the Muromachi period, Sengoku period, and the Boshin War, such as the Ōnin War, the Honnō-ji Incident, the Kinmon incident and the Battle of Toba–Fushimi.
The capital was relocated from Kyoto to Tokyo after the Meiji Restoration. The modern municipality of Kyoto was established in 1889.
The city was spared from large-scale destruction during World War II and as a result, its prewar cultural heritage has mostly been preserved.
It is home to numerous Buddhist temples, Shinto shrines, palaces and gardens, some of which have been designated collectively as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO.
Prominent landmarks include the Kyoto Imperial Palace, Kiyomizu-dera, Kinkaku-ji, Ginkaku-ji, and Kyoto Tower.
The internationally renowned video game company Nintendo is based in Kyoto.
Kyoto is also a center of higher learning in the country, and its institutions include Kyoto University, the second oldest university in Japan.
