Kyoto Prefecture (京都府) is a prefecture in the Kansai Region in Japan. It covers 4,612 sq km and ranks 31st among the prefectures in size. Kyoto Prefecture has a population of 2.65 million people (2011 estimate). It is the 13th most populous prefecture in the country.
Kyoto Prefecture encompasses the city of Kyoto, which had served as the Imperial capital of Japan from AD 794, when Kyoto was known as Heian-kyo, to 1868, when Emperor Meiji relocated the capital to Edo, now called Tokyo. Until Kyoto became capital, the seat of government has shifted every few decades around the areas between presently Kyoto Prefecture and Nara Prefecture.
By Plane
If you are flying in from overseas, Kansai International Airport, which serves the whole Kansai region, has the best connection among the airports in the area.
By Train
The Tokaido Shinkansen bullet train stops at Kyoto Station on its way between Tokyo and Osaka.