Kyoto Travel Guide

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City Introduction

Kyoto is a wonderful city with countless temples, palaces, gardens and pagodas, and it is the historical and cultural stronghold of Japan. A visit to the city provides a distinguished view of the country’s earlier imperial history in the Edo era of 1603-1867.

The city was Japan’s capital before Tokyo, and all the grand palaces and temples are preserved in the streets and neighborhoods of Kyoto, which also offers all the amazing impressions of modern Japan. The special blend is unique, and Kyoto is a true must see if you want to get the best picture of Japan over the past 500 years.

Many sights are inscribed in UNESCO’s list of world heritage sites. This is the case for Hideyoshi Toyotomi’s impressive Nijo Palace, the Golden Pavilion and Toji Temple, where Japan’s highest pagoda stands tall.

The mountains surrounding the city also host a lot of temples which are also worth seeing together with the nature. Great places like Nara with all its tranquility and the vibrant metropolis of Osaka are other places that are easily accesible from Kyoto.

Top Attractions

Golden Pavilion, Kyoto

  • The Golden Pavilion/Kinkakuji/金 閣 寺: The uniquely beautiful Kinkakuji Temple is also called the Golden Pavilion. The temple is one of Kyoto’s most beautiful buildings and one of the city’s landmarks.
  • Kyoto Imperial Palace/Kyōto Gosho/京都 御所: Kyoto has been home to various imperial palaces for the long period as Japan’s capital. The site of the present palace was selected in 1790, and construction was completed in 1855.

Nijo Castle, Kyoto

  • Nijo Palace/Nijō-jō/二条 城: The great Nijo Palace was built during the reign of Shogun Tokugawa in 1603. It was built as the Shogun’s residence – though he rarely stayed here.
  • Kiyomizu Temple/Kiyomizu-dera/清水寺: The beautiful Kiyomizu Temple is beautifully situated on a steep hillside, and it is among the most popular temples in all of Japan.
  • Toji Temple/Tōji/東 寺: The Toji Temple was founded in 796, and despite several fires, many original works of art in the various buildings have been preserved.

Other Attractions

Kyoto National Museum, Kyoto

  • Kyoto National Museum/Kyōto Kokuritsu Hakubutsukan/京都 国立 博物館: Kyoto National Museum was founded in 1897 by the imperial household, which initiated the now more than 10,000 items collection.
  • Sanjusangendo Temple/Sanjū Song Dō/三十 三 間 堂: This temple was originally built in 1164, but it was rebuilt after destruction in 1266. In the temple there is an impressive collection of statues of the Goddess of Mercy.

Nishi-Hoganji Temple, Kyoto

  • Nishi-Honganji Temple/Nishi Honganji/西 本 願 寺: This temple is considered one of the finest Buddhist buildings in Kyoto. It was founded in the city of Higashiyama in 1272 and moved to its current location in Kyoto in 1591.
  • Kyoto City Museum/Kyōto Bunka Hakubutsukan/京都 文化 博物館: The city museum is a very interesting museum depicting the history of Kyoto. The exhibition shows both the development of the city itself, the life, art and history of the imperial court.

Day Trips

Osaka, Japan

  • Osaka/大阪: Osaka is a metropolis close to Kyoto. It offers countless sights and contrasts Kyoto with modern architecture and highrise constructions.
  • Nara/奈良: Nara is a beautiful city that has a number of buildings from the time as the capital. Most of them are located in the large park Nara Koen, where the city’s National Museum is located too.

Himeji Castle, Japan

  • Himeji/姫 路: The city of Himeji is known for its castle, which is considered the most beautiful and best preserved from the country’s feudal era. Unlike many similar castles, Himeji’s has survived wars, fires and earthquakes and are thus in the original condition.
  • Hiroshima/広 島: Hiroshima is the place where the world’s first nuclear bomb was dropped on August 6, 1945. The bomb destroyed the entire city and killed a large number of the city’s 350,000 people.

Miyajima Island, Japan

  • Miyajima/宮 島: The island of Miyajima is a place where almost perfect harmony reigns. The place is one of Japan’s most beautiful and the island is also considered a sacred place.

Shopping

  • Daimaru , Shijo-Karasuma
  • Fujii Daimaru , Shijo-Teramachi
  • Hankyu , Shijo-Kawaramachi
  • Isetan , Karasuma-dori
  • Takashimaya , Shijo-Kawaramachi, www.takashimaya.co.jp
  • Shopping streets: Shijo-dori, Shijo-Teramachi, Kawaramachi-dori, Kitayama-dori, Kiyomizudera

With Kids

  • Theme Park: Kyoto Studio Park / 東映太秦映画村·京都 , 10 Higashi-hachigaoka-cho, Uzumasa, Ukyo-ku,
  • Theme Park: Awaji World Park / Awaji Wārudo Pāku / 淡 路 ワ ー ル ド ク ク, Shiota Ninjima 8-5, Tsuna-cho, Osaka, www.onokoro.jp
  • Movie and theme park: Universal Studios / Yunibaasaru Sutajio / ユ ニ バ ー サ ル ・ ス タ ジ オ, 2-1-33 Sakurajima, Konohana-ku, Osaka, www.usj.co.jp
  • Zoo: Kyoto Zoo / 京 都市 動物園, Sakyō-ku
  • Aquarium: Osaka Kaiyukan Aquarium / Kaiyūkan / 海 遊 館, 1-1-10 Kaigan-dori, Minato-ku, www.kaiyukan.com

Practical Links

City History

Emperor Kammu made Kyoto the capital of Japan in 794 – after having established his court in the Kyoto suburb of Nagaoka for 10 years. It was a status retained until 1868, when Tokyo was made the country’s imperial government city.

Kyoto was built according to traditional Chinese geometry in urban planning. One of the role models was the Tang Dynasty capital of Chang’an in Xi’an province on the Chinese mainland. Over the centuries, however, the Japanese in Kyoto developed their own version based on the Japanese culture, the so-called hiragana, seen in the elegantly landscaped city’s myriad historic buildings.

For a long time, Kyoto was not just the name of the country’s capital, it was the economic, cultural and administrative center. Occasionally, however, there were periods when another city was a political government city, such as Kamakura in the 1200-1300s and Edo from 1603 to 1868.

Mongol armies invaded Japan in the late 13th century, and were beaten back by a typhoon, the so-called divine wind, the Kamikazen. The calm was restored under Emperor Go-Daigo. It was also during Go-Daigo that a cultural boom of Kyoto began – the Ashikaga period. From time to time many beautiful temples and gardens are still visible.

However, tensions between regional leaders increased in the rest of Japan, and in 1467 became the year in which the 10-year Onin war began. Hard battles were fought all the way inside the center of Kyoto, which was partially destroyed. However, the city existed – also as a capital, but the following decades became a time of many regional struggles.

The Emperors Nobunaga and Hideyohshi gathered the land under the central power of Kyoto and rebuilt the city in the years 1568-1590. There were now more than 500,000 inhabitants.

At the time of Edo’s position as the country’s political center of power from 1603, Kyoto remained the country’s spiritual and cultural hub. No other city in the kingdom had temples and cultural institutions like Kyoto, and this is still clearly seen on a visit to the city today.

During World War II, Kyoto was not bombed due to the city’s unique cultural and architectural heritage. After the war, the city was also maintained as a center of traditional Japanese culture and as an educational center. Kyoto University has thus produced several Nobel laureates.

During the long Japanese economic boom after 1945, some industry in the city also developed, but the cultural – including a sharp increase in tourism from the 1970s – is still the hallmark of the beautiful city.

Geolocation

In short

Kyoto Street and Pagoda, Kyoto, Japan

Overview of Kyoto

Kyoto is a wonderful city with countless temples, palaces, gardens and pagodas, and it is the historical and cultural stronghold of Japan. A visit to the city provides a distinguished view of the country’s earlier imperial history in the Edo era of 1603-1867.

 

The city was Japan’s capital before Tokyo, and all the grand palaces and temples are preserved in the streets and neighborhoods of Kyoto, which also offers all the amazing impressions of modern Japan. The special blend is unique, and Kyoto is a true must see if you want to get the best picture of Japan over the past 500 years.

 

About the upcoming Kyoto travel guide

  • Contents: Tours in the city + tours in the surrounding area
  • Published: Released soon
  • Author: Stig Albeck
  • Publisher: Vamados.com
  • Language: English

 

About the travel guide

The Kyoto travel guide gives you an overview of the sights and activities of the Japanese city. Read about top sights and other sights, and get a tour guide with tour suggestions and detailed descriptions of all the city’s most important churches, monuments, mansions, museums, etc.

 

Kyoto is waiting for you, and at vamados.com you can also find cheap flights and great deals on hotels for your trip. You just select your travel dates and then you get flight and accommodation suggestions in and around the city.

 

Read more about Kyoto and Japan

 

Buy the travel guide

Click the “Add to Cart” button to purchase the travel guide. After that you will come to the payment, where you enter the purchase and payment information. Upon payment of the travel guide, you will immediately receive a receipt with a link to download your purchase. You can download the travel guide immediately or use the download link in the email later.

 

Use the travel guide

When you buy the travel guide to Kyoto you get the book online so you can have it on your phone, tablet or computer – and of course you can choose to print it. Use the maps and tour suggestions and you will have a good and content-rich journey.

Golden Pavilion • Great Palaces • Magnificent Temples • Pagodas

Kyoto Street and Pagoda, Kyoto, Japan

Overview of Kyoto

Kyoto is a wonderful city with countless temples, palaces, gardens and pagodas, and it is the historical and cultural stronghold of Japan. A visit to the city provides a distinguished view of the country’s earlier imperial history in the Edo era of 1603-1867.

 

The city was Japan’s capital before Tokyo, and all the grand palaces and temples are preserved in the streets and neighborhoods of Kyoto, which also offers all the amazing impressions of modern Japan. The special blend is unique, and Kyoto is a true must see if you want to get the best picture of Japan over the past 500 years.

 

About the upcoming Kyoto travel guide

  • Contents: Tours in the city + tours in the surrounding area
  • Published: Released soon
  • Author: Stig Albeck
  • Publisher: Vamados.com
  • Language: English

 

About the travel guide

The Kyoto travel guide gives you an overview of the sights and activities of the Japanese city. Read about top sights and other sights, and get a tour guide with tour suggestions and detailed descriptions of all the city’s most important churches, monuments, mansions, museums, etc.

 

Kyoto is waiting for you, and at vamados.com you can also find cheap flights and great deals on hotels for your trip. You just select your travel dates and then you get flight and accommodation suggestions in and around the city.

 

Read more about Kyoto and Japan

 

Buy the travel guide

Click the “Add to Cart” button to purchase the travel guide. After that you will come to the payment, where you enter the purchase and payment information. Upon payment of the travel guide, you will immediately receive a receipt with a link to download your purchase. You can download the travel guide immediately or use the download link in the email later.

 

Use the travel guide

When you buy the travel guide to Kyoto you get the book online so you can have it on your phone, tablet or computer – and of course you can choose to print it. Use the maps and tour suggestions and you will have a good and content-rich journey.

Other Attractions

Kyoto National Museum, Kyoto

  • Kyoto National Museum/Kyōto Kokuritsu Hakubutsukan/京都 国立 博物館: Kyoto National Museum was founded in 1897 by the imperial household, which initiated the now more than 10,000 items collection.
  • Sanjusangendo Temple/Sanjū Song Dō/三十 三 間 堂: This temple was originally built in 1164, but it was rebuilt after destruction in 1266. In the temple there is an impressive collection of statues of the Goddess of Mercy.

Nishi-Hoganji Temple, Kyoto

  • Nishi-Honganji Temple/Nishi Honganji/西 本 願 寺: This temple is considered one of the finest Buddhist buildings in Kyoto. It was founded in the city of Higashiyama in 1272 and moved to its current location in Kyoto in 1591.
  • Kyoto City Museum/Kyōto Bunka Hakubutsukan/京都 文化 博物館: The city museum is a very interesting museum depicting the history of Kyoto. The exhibition shows both the development of the city itself, the life, art and history of the imperial court.

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