Kyoto 京都

Kyoto (30 March, 2008)


Kyoto provides useful information on Kyoto, the former capital of Japan. Today, Kyoto (Japanese: 京都) is a major city. Modern Kyoto has a population of 1.5 million people. Located on the island of Honshu, it was formerly the imperial capital of Japan, and is today the capital of Kyoto Prefecture.

Kyoto is one of the biggest tourist destinations in Japan, owning to the numerous heritage sites found throughout the city. 17 properties in Kyoto and neighbour cities of Uji and Otsu are inscribed as a World Heritage Site in 1994, under the title Historic Monuments of Ancient Kyoto (Kyoto, Uji and Otsu Cities).

The area around Kyoto has seen human settlement going back to approximately 10,000 BC.

Kyoto became the capital of Japan in AD 794, when Emperor Kammu decided to move the capital away from Nara, where the powerful Buddhist clergy is seen to interfere in political affairs. The site chosen was in the village of Uda, and a new city called Heian-kyo (meaning "tranquility and peace capital"). In the 11th century, the city was renamed Kyoto, meaning capital city.

During World War II, Kyoto was spared from large scale bombing - there was also a consideration to drop an atomic bomb there but was not carried out. As a result, Kyoto is one of the few major Japanese cities that still has a good number of prewar buildings.

Kyoto was the biggest city in Japan for much of Japanese history until the 16th century, when it was surpassed by Osaka and then Edo. Today it is the 7th largest city in Japan, behind Tokyo, Yokohama, Osaka, Nagoya, Sapporo and Kobe, with Fukuoka and Kawasaki fast catching up and expected to overtake it soon.

Planning your trip to Kyoto

By Plane
Kansai International Airport in Osaka Bay is the airport serving Osaka, Kyoto, Kobe and Nara. Buy a one-day JR West Kansai Area Pass, available only to foreigners, and costs ¥2,000. It allows you to ride the JR West Haruka Kansai Airport Limited Express Train from Kansai to Kyoto Station. The JR West Kansai Area Pass saves you ¥980 less than the regular Haruka Limited Express ticket. The train runs every half an hour, and takes 75 minutes to reach Kyoto Station.

Alternatively, you can board the limousine buses from Kansai Airport to Kyoto Station. There are two buses every hour. The journey takes 90 minutes (or more, if there is heavy traffic or jam) and costs ¥2,300 one way and ¥3,800 round trip.

By Train
The Shinkansen bullet train takes approximately 2 hours 15 minutes to go from Tokyo to Kyoto. The fare is ¥13,520 one way. You should buy an "open date" ticket from a travel agency in Tokyo, where you can board the train at any date, as long as it is not full. Just register your agency ticket and you will be reserved a place.

If you hold a Japan Rail Pass, you can board the slower Hikari train (2 hours 45 minutes) that makes several stops between Tokyo and Kyoto, at no additional charge.

Planning your travel within Kyoto

The most convenient option for budget travelers to Kyoto is to use its trains. There are, at last count, eleven railway lines in Kyoto. Each station is sighposted in English as well as the obvious Japanese. For riding the trains, you have the option of buying the Kyoto Sightseeing Card, for unlimited rides, or the Traffica Kyoto Card, with stored value.

The Kyoto Sightseeing Card costs ¥1,200 for one day and ¥2,000 for two days. You can use it for unlimited rides on the subway and city buses.

The Traffica Kyoto Card has a denomination of ¥1,000 or ¥3,000, and can be used up to its face value. They also offer a 10% bonus over buying a single-journey ticket.

Map of sights in Kyoto

Sights within Kyoto

Sights in the vicinity of Kyoto

The following are places of interest near to Kyoto, with description of the different districts which which you may also want to explore.

Sights in Arashiyama District

Arashiyama District is an area with unspoilt natural beauty just outside Kyoto. You can visit it as a day-trip from Kyoto.

Sights in Uji City

Uji City is a city within the Kyoto Prefecture. It grows some of the best green tea in Japan. Uji City has two temples listed below which are part of the World Heritage Sites of Kyoto.
My wife and I at the Golden Pavilion, Kyoto (30 March, 2007)


Kyoto station (30 March, 2008)


Shops in Higashiyama, leading towards Kiyomizu-dera Temple (30 March, 2007)


Gate and towers of Kiyomizu-dera Temple, Kyoto (30 March, 2007)


Gokogu-jinja in Kyoto, Japan
Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Gokogu-jinja01s4592.jpg
Author: 663highland


Kinkaku-ji, the Golden Pavilion, Kyoto
Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Kinkaku-ji#mediaviewer/File:Kinkaku_ji_temple_(9977758546).jpg
Author: BriYYZ


Yasaka Shrine, Kyoto
Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Yasaka_Shrine_01.jpg
Author: Bernard Gagnon


Nijo Castle, Kyoto
Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Nijo_Castle_1.jpg
Author: Araisyohei
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