 The Golden Pavilion | ||
| Kyoto | ||
| prefecture | Kyoto | |
|---|---|---|
| Residents | 1.453.854 (2021) | |
| height | unknown | |
no value for height on Wikidata:  | ||
| Tourist info web | www.city.kyoto.lg.jp | |
| no tourist info on Wikidata: | ||
| location | ||
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Kyoto(Japanese: 京都) is a japanese city in region Kansai on the main island Honshu. It is also the capital of the Kyoto prefecture.
Districts
The city lies in a basin that is only open to the south. The old imperial palace stands on the historic northern outskirts of the city. This is why the names of the districts are partly derived:
- Kamigyō-ku is the upper capital district. Here is the Imperial palace, the Shokoku-ji, one of the main temples of Zen Buddhism and the Shinto shrine Kitano Tenman-gū.
- Nakagyō-ku is the central capital district, here is the Nijo Castle, here are also the main shopping areas.
- Shimogyō-ku is the lower capital district, today the station district. There are many hotels and restaurants in and around the station, which was renovated in 1997. Also the Higashi Hongan-ji (often just written Hongan-ji), the main temple of the Jodo Shinshu Buddhist school is in the immediate vicinity.
- Minami-ku, the southern district, was only separated from the lower capital district in 1955. The important building is here Tō-ji, a UNESCO World Heritage Site temple.
- Kita-ku, the northern municipality, here are the Kinkaku-ji or the golden pavilion and the temple complex Daitoku-ji the Rinzai School of Zen Budism and the Kamigamo shrine.
- Ukyō-ku is the right municipality seen from the north-south orientation from the Imperial Palace. Originally it was only the western district of Kyoto with the Zen temple Ryōan-ji, today the districts of Arashiyama and Sagano also belong to it.
- Nishikyō-ku is the western municipality and is located south of Ukyō-ku, to which he belonged until 1976. Here is the Imperial Villa Katasura Rikyu and the temple Saiho-ji.
- Sakyō-ku is accordingly the left municipality and lies in the east. The most famous sights are the Ginkaku-ji or silver pavilion and the Heian-jingu.
- Higashiyama means eastern mountain district and is located south of the Sakyō-ku district and east of Shimogyō-ku. Here is the temple Kiyomizu-dera, and here it is Korkuritsu Hakubutsukan (Kyōto National Museum) housed in two buildings. The geisha area around Gion is also here.
- Yamashina-ku is east of Higashiyama and used to be an independent place.
- Fushimi-ku is the southernmost district, known for the Fushimi Inari - Shrine and especially through the production of sake.
background
The city with around 1.4 million inhabitants was the capital and imperial seat of Japan for over a thousand years before it was replaced by Edo, today's Tokyo. The basin in which it is located was settled in the 7th century. The settlement at that time with the name Heian-Kyo became the capital of Japan in 794 and thus dissolved Nara from. From then until 1868 it was the seat of the Japanese emperor. It was not until the beginning of the Meijin Restoration in 1867 that the emperor moved to Edo, what is now Tokyo.
As a result, Kyoto was the country's cultural center for a very long time, which was also reflected in numerous buildings. There are over 3,000 temples and shrines, dozens of gardens and museums, and no fewer than three palaces in Kyoto. The city is quite clearly laid out with its checkered streets.
getting there
By plane
The closest international airport is the Kansai International Airport, which can be reached with the Haruka Airport Express in 75 minutes Osaka Itami Airport the nearest airport, from which there are direct bus connections (approx. 55 minutes travel time).
By train
With the Shinkansen from Tokyo you can reach Kyoto in 2 hours 15 minutes, from Shin-Osaka in less than a quarter of an hour. For the onward journey to the hotel, we recommend the fastest means of transport Subway. But since there are only a few lines, you have to rely on the bus or taxi for certain areas.
If you choose the taxi, it is advisable not to get in directly at the train station. The allocation of taxis is in "undemocratic" hands. The taxi chain recommended by the residents of Kyoto, with a heart as a logo on the roof, is, for example, not "allowed" in front of the train station. The drivers of this organization are considered friendly towards foreigners, have a basic knowledge of English and are ready to transport even a larger suitcase. So just walk a few meters to the street and stop a "heart" taxi there with a hand signal.
If you continue by bus, there is a pavilion for the bus companies in front of the north entrance of the train station, where you can get a very helpful route map.
By bus
In the street
mobility
Dynamic cards
There are several private railway lines, some of which operate as underground trains in the city. Two subway lines are formed from this.
- The Karasuma line (Line color green) leads from the north of Kokusai (K1) and then follows the Kamasuma-dori in the direction of Kyoto Station (K11) to then form the connection Kintetsu Kyoto Line at Takaeda (K15).
- The Tozai line (Line color orange-red) starts at Rokujizu (T01) then leads via Daigo (T03), north to Yamashina (T07), there it connects with the Tzai line of the Keihan Railway and swings to the east and crosses the range of hills to the Sanjo- Keihan (T11). The Sanjo station of the Keihan Main Line is in the immediate vicinity. She then crosses under the river Kamo and has a connection to the Karasuma line at station Karasuma-Oike (T13 / K08). The Tozai line has at Nijo Connection to the San'in line and ends in the east at the station Uzumasa Tenjingawa in the district Ukyō-ku.
The stations are clearly marked in Japanese and Latin script as well as with letters and numbers.
The city also has a dense bus network. There is an English-speaking guide for the most important bus routes at the larger sales points. This TIC brochure Kyoto Transportation Guide is also recommended for non-English speaking people.
Tourist Attractions
Kyoto has around 3,000 temples and shrines. Including some main temples and shrines. In addition, some important buildings from the time of the capital, such as the imperial palace, have been preserved. There are also many museums. There are also some modern buildings that are well worth seeing.
So it should be clear that this can only be a selection. More detailed information is partly in the created city district articles.
Historic Kyoto
In 1994 a total of 17 architectural monuments were included in the list of UNESCO world cultural heritage recorded. These buildings are not all in the city of Kyoto itself, but also in the immediate vicinity. They are in detail:
| Surname | Type | place |
|---|---|---|
| 1 Kamigamo-jinja | Shinto shrine | Kita-ku |
| 2 Shimogamo-jinja | Shinto shrine | Sakyō-ku |
| 3 Tō-ji, Kyō-ō-Gokoku-ji | Temple, Shingon | Minami-ku |
| 4 Kiyomizu-dera | temple | Higashiyama |
| 5 Enryaku-ji | Temple, Tendai | Ōtsu (City) |
| 6 Daigo-ji | Temple, Shingon | Fushimi-ku |
| 7 Ninna-ji | Temple, Shingon | Ukyō-ku |
| 8 Byōdō-in | temple | Uji (City) |
| 9 Ujigami-jinja | temple | Uji (City) |
| 10 Kozan-ji | Temple, Shingon | Ukyō-ku |
| 11 Saiho-ji | Temple, Rinzai-Zen | Nishikyō-ku |
| 12 Tenryu-ji | Temple, Tenryū-Rinzai-Zen | Ukyō-ku |
| 13 Kinkaku-ji | Temple, Rinzai-Zen | Kita-ku |
| 14 Ginkaku-ji | temple | Sakyō-ku |
| 15 Ryōan-ji | Temple, Myōshinji-Rinzai-Zen | Ukyō-ku |
| 16 Nishi-Hongan-ji | Temple, Jodo Shinshu | Shimogyō-ku |
| 17 Nijō | Castle | Nakagyō-ku |
Temples and shrines, other religious buildings
The World Heritage List of "Historical Kyoto" includes the most interesting and important temples and shrines. Therefore only a small addition here, further details in the articles on the individual districts.
- 1 Sanjūsan-gen-dō in Kyoto / Higashiyama
- 2 Daitoku-ji in Kyōto / Kita-ku
- 3 Tofuku-ji in Kyoto / Higashiyama
- 4 Inari Taisha in Kyoto / Fushimi-ku
More castles, chateaus and palaces
- 5 The Imperial Palace in the district Kamigyō-ku
- 6 Fushimi Castle in the district Fushimi-ku
- 7 Shugaku-in Rikyu, the imperial mansion in the district Sakyō-ku, with the permission of the Kunaicho
Buildings
- The modern one 8 Central Station and the one immediately next to it 9 Kyoto Tower, are certainly two of Kyoto's most beautiful modern buildings. The observation deck on top of the Kyoto Tower offers a great panoramic view of Kyoto.
Monuments
Museums
- The 10 Korkuritsu Hakubutsukan (Kyoto National Museum)
- The 11 Kyoto National Railway Museum in the Shimogyō-ku district
- The 12 International Manga Museum. By doing museum German mangas are also shown.
- The 13 Kyoto Museum, his Web presence in English
- The 14 Museum of the Gekkeikan Sake Brewery in the district Fushimi-ku
Streets and squares
Parks
- The dry garden of the Ryoanji Temple (Zen) is a World Heritage Site.
various
- In the district Minami-ku is also the 15 Headquarters of the video game manufacturer Nintendo. The relatively unspectacular building attracts some interested fans almost every day.
activities
Festivals
Kyoto is said to be the city of a hundred festivals, which is not entirely true, as there are more than a hundred Matsuri annually. So there is usually a festival going on somewhere. The most important ones, which also attract a large number of domestic tourists and are therefore a reason to reserve your hotel in good time, are:
- February 2nd or 3rd Setsubun Matsuri (last winter day according to the lunar calendar)
- March and December Hanatōro (The Lantern Festival) takes place in the Higashiyama District at the beginning of the year and in the Arashiyama District at the end of the year
- May 15 Aoi Matturi (Mallow Festival)
- 17th July Gion Matsurithat the most famous Japanese festival with floats
- August 16 Daimon-ji Gozan Okuibi at nightfall, fires in the form of characters are lit on five mountains
- October 22nd Kurama-no-hi Matsuri (Refractory)
- October 22nd Jidaiu Natsuri (Epoch Festival)
shop
The main shopping streets are in the district Nakagyō-ku on Shijo Street and the side streets, especially between the Shijo station and the river Kamo.
kitchen
nightlife
accommodation
Kyoto is a main travel destination for the Japanese themselves, so almost everyone will have made a trip here in their school days. That is why there is a large, diverse range of accommodation. The one established by the city website offers an accommodation search function in English.
The Tokyo Inn chain has three hotels in Kyoto that can be booked through the hotel's website.
medium
- Kyoto Royal Hotel & Spa, Nakagyo-ku Kawaramachi Sanjo-Agaru (One block south of the Shiyakushomae subway station, on a side street). Tel.: 81 (0)752231234, Email: [email protected]. Centrally located, nice and modern hotel. Room small as usual.Price: double room from 150 €.
Learn
Work
security
health
Practical advice
- TIC. Tel.: 81 371 5649. The main office of the Tourist Information Center for Kyoto and Kansai is located on the 1st floor of the main train station, at the level of the entrance to the normal railway lines. It is specially set up for foreign tourists, and some of the staff speaks English as well as German.Open: Mon - Fri 9 a.m. - 5 p.m., Sat 9 a.m. - 12 p.m., Sun closed.
- Kyoto City Tourist Information Center, on the 2nd floor of the train station. Also open on Sundays, but more geared towards local visitors. Therefore, not everyone speaks English.Open: daily 8.30 a.m. - 7.00 p.m.
- Kyoto Handikraft Center, northwest of the Heian-jingu. Another starting point is the Kyoto Handikraft Center. Most of the city tours start here; the center also includes a tourist information center (Japanese, some in English).
trips
literature
Web links
- https://www.city.kyoto.lg.jp/ (Yes) - Kyoto official website
- Discover Kyoto Kyoto travel guide in German
- Kyoto Visitors Guide, English-language magazine published monthly
- Kyoto Travel Guide official English tourism website
- Visit Kyoto Tourist information of the Kyoto prefecture
- The Kyoto Project in German
- Asano Noboru's Kyoto website informative site from Asano Noburu
