Kyoto or Kyoto is a city in Japan. The city has about 1,500,000 inhabitants (2008).
Info
Kyoto used to be the imperial capital of Japan, but it is now only the capital of the prefecture of the same name.
Arrive
Travel around
To look at
Kyoto has a large number of tourist attractions, visitors should plan a route in advance, in order to visit as much as possible.
Japan National Tourist Organization's self-guided "Kioto Hikes" pamphlet is available in a ready-to-print PDF format. The guide makes first-time visitors to the city tour with ease and with the minimum of fuss with bus numbers, bus stop names and clearly marked walking routes. There are a variety of self-walks in different districts to get a taste of the different sites of Kyoto. If you see the browser dialog popping up, click on it until the full PDF document opens.
World Heritage List
In 1994, 17 historic sites were inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List under the group designation Historic Monuments of Ancient Kyoto. Fourteen of the sites listed are in Kyoto itself, two are in the neighboring city of Uji, and one is in Otsu.
Listed by location, the fourteen World Heritage Sites in the city of Kyoto are:
- Northern Kyoto: Kinkaku-ji, Ryoan-ji, Ninna-ji, Kozan-ji, Shimogamo Shrine, Kamigamo Shrine
- Downtown Kyoto: Nijo Castle, Nishi Hongan-ji, To-ji
- East Kyoto: Kiyomizu-dera, Ginkaku-ji
- Western Kyoto: Tenryu-ji, Koke-dera
- South Kyoto: Daigo-ji
Imperial Palaces and Villas
Stroll through the royal retreats of the Imperial Palace or one of the two Imperial Villas with gardens and teahouses managed by the Imperial Household Agency. These are the Imperial Palace (京都 御所 Kyōto-Gosho) and Sento Imperial Palace (仙洞 御所 Sento-Gosho) in central Kyoto, Katsura Imperial Villa (桂 离宫 Katsura-Rikyu) in western Kyoto, and Shugakuin Imperial Villa (修学院 离宫 Shugaku-in-Rikyu) in Northern Kyoto. All four of these sites are open to the public by reservation through the Imperial Household Agency. The gardens located within the precints of each palace and villa are at their most beautiful in the spring cherry blossom season and in the fall where a riot of colors enchant visitors. Each property is still used from time to time for official state functions or for private visits by current royal family members.
The Imperial Household Agency maintains a quota on the number of visitors to each site per tour. Entrance is free. English guides are available at the Imperial Palace, but tours of Sento Imperial Palace, Katsura Villa, and Shugakuin Villa are conducted in Japanese only (English pamphlets are provided at each destination upon entry and books are available for purchase if you would like to learn more) . Overseas visitors can apply online to the Imperial Household Agency in English here. On her website are writing ups and videos in English for interested visitors to gauge which ones they want to visit before making an online application. Please note that advanced applications are first available on the first day of the month, three months in advance of the applicant's preferred touring month. For example, if your preferred date of visit falls in the months of April, you can start applying on January 1. Because these visits have been more than endorsed by the Japanese and foreign visitors, the Imperial Household Agency has to choose a lot to draw on the successful candidates. All applicants will be notified of the status of their applications whether they are successful or otherwise within one week of the closing date. Most applicants to the Imperial Palace are accepted, and early booking is usually not necessary, but those planning to visit the Sento Imperial Palace, or any of the Imperial Villas apply on the first available day of application as they are very competitive and quite months of travel often become complete within the first few days. Winter tours are usually much less competitive, but be aware that the gardens will not be as beautiful as other times of the year.
If an applicant is unsuccessful, they can still go direct in person to the Imperial Household Agency Kyoto Office to inquire if there are any vacancies, as these usually save a few spots for walk-ins. Many people are able to do this successfully for the Imperial Palace, but it can be more of a risk for the others, so go early. Address: Imperial Household Agency Kyoto Office, 3 Kyotogyoen, Kamigyo-ku, Kyoto, 602-8611, Tel: 81-75-211-1215.
To do
To buy
Food
- Isshen restaurant. This restaurant in Gion is absolutely recommended. It has 2 Michelin stars and they are well deserved. Beef is used in all dishes and just like in many other Japanese restaurants you get different courses with a different preparation of the best pieces of beef every time. There is a fixed menu and only the drink (Sake or beer) is freely selectable. There is a separate room for a larger group of people, but most guests are seated at a bar. The chef is cooking behind the bar. He is very organised, seems stiff but actually very friendly and speaks a few words of English. Price per person about 13,000 Yen. Not cheap but well worth the money.