Kyoto

Kyoto, known in Japanese as 京都 (Kyōto), stands at the heart of the island of Honshu as both the capital of Kyoto Prefecture and the spiritual anchor of the Kansai region. Its name, pronounced variously as /ki.ˈoʊ.toʊ/ or /ˈkjoʊ.toʊ/, evokes a city that balances antiquity and modern life. Covering 827.9 square kilometres—nearly 18 percent of the prefecture’s territory—Kyoto is home to some 1.46 million residents (2020 census), making it the ninth‑largest city in Japan by population. It also forms the core of a wider metropolitan area of 3.8 million souls and participates in the vast Keihanshin conurbation that includes Osaka and Kobe.

In the year 794, Emperor Kanmu relocated the imperial court to a newly laid‑out settlement named Heian‑kyō. Designed according to the principles of Chinese geomancy, the city’s grid pattern echoed that of Chang’an and Luoyang, ancient capitals of China. For nearly eleven centuries, emperors and courtiers governed from Kyoto, presiding over an era of refined court culture, waka poetry and the flowering of Buddhist schools.

Key moments in later history—among them the Ōnin War that devastated large swathes of the city in the 15th century, the Honnō‑ji Incident that altered the course of the Sengoku period, and the Battle of Toba–Fushimi during the Boshin War—played out beneath Kyoto’s tiled roofs. The Meiji Restoration of 1868 ended the imperial presence when the capital moved eastwards to Tokyo; nonetheless, the municipal entity now known as Kyoto City was formally constituted in 1889.

Unlike many urban centres in Japan that were rebuilt after fire or war, Kyoto emerged from the Second World War largely unscathed by the Allied bombing campaigns. Its wooden townhouses—machiya—alongside temples, shrines and palaces survived intact, preserving a prewar streetscape that feels both familiar and out of time. As a result, Kyoto hosts roughly one fifth of the nation’s designated National Treasures and more than a tenth of its Important Cultural Properties. In 2023, the national Agency for Cultural Affairs relocated here, cementing the city’s role as Japan’s principal custodian of tangible and intangible heritage.

Nestled within the Yamashiro Basin, Kyoto is framed on three sides by hills known locally as Higashiyama (east), Kitayama (north) and Nishiyama (west), rising to nearly 1,000 metres. Three rivers chart the basin’s edges—the Uji to the south, the Katsura to the west and the Kamo to the east—historically providing transport, irrigation and the scenic backdrops for riverside promenades. Beneath the city lies a generous aquifer once tapped by thousands of wells. Urban expansion has diminished rainfall infiltration, causing many traditional wells to yield less water than in former times. The climate registers hot, humid summers—steeped in June’s seasonal rains and punctuated by summer and autumn typhoons—and winters cold enough for occasional snowfall.

The first municipal wards, established in the 1870s, were Kamigyō (North Capital) and Shimogyō (Lower Capital), later unified into today’s city. Expansion through the 20th century produced a total of eleven wards (ku), each carrying administrative duties for local services. The city hall resides in Nakagyō‑ku, while the prefectural offices remain in Kamigyō‑ku. Central wards west of the Kamo River are compact and densely settled; they contain the Kyoto Imperial Palace and the main business districts, and host covered pedestrian arcades such as Teramachi and Shinkyōgoku streets. Grid‑style avenues—Ichijō, Nijō, Sanjō and so forth—run east–west in the historic core, a legacy of the Heian‑kyō blueprint. Beyond this zone, streets stray from the orthogonal, yet unique names help visitors and residents navigate a city where few roads bear sidewalks and one‑way schemes are common.

For much of its history, Kyoto was Japan’s largest city, until Osaka and Edo (modern Tokyo) overtook it in the late 16th century. Before the war, it ranked fourth or fifth; by 1960 it sat fifth, and by 1990 seventh. A continued population decline placed it ninth by January 2022, though daytime figures swell as commuters arrive—Kyoto ranks seventh nationwide in daytime population density. Over half of Kyoto Prefecture’s inhabitants live within the city limits, the highest such ratio in any Japanese prefecture.

While tourism and traditional crafts draw global attention, information technology and electronics form vital branches of Kyoto’s modern economy. The world‑renowned gaming company Nintendo, along with Intelligent Systems, SCREEN Holdings, Tose and Hatena, share headquarters here. Precision instrument makers Omron, Shimadzu, Horiba and Kyocera, semiconductor specialists Rohm and Nidec, battery producer GS Yuasa and many others contribute to a robust industrial base. Tourism enjoyed record arrivals in 2014, but the COVID‑19 pandemic precipitated a steep drop, prompting municipal budget cuts and forecasts of fiscal strain. Traditional industries remain strong: kimono weaving flourishes, with Kyoto recognized as the nation’s premier silk textile centre, and sake breweries—most notably Gekkeikan and Takara—continue centuries‑old practices.

Kyoto boasts some forty institutions of higher education. National Kyoto University ranks among Japan’s foremost, counting eight Nobel Laureates and two prime ministers among its alumni; its Research Institute for Mathematical Sciences and the Yukawa Institute for Theoretical Physics have housed leading scholars in mathematics and fundamental physics. Private campuses such as Doshisha and Ritsumeikan complement the national university.

The Consortium of Universities in Kyoto, uniting six public universities, forty‑five private institutions and municipal bodies, grants cross‑registration but no collective degrees. International programs, notably the Kyoto Consortium for Japanese Studies and the Associated Kyoto Program, bring overseas students into intensive courses on language, history and culture.

Kyōto Station serves as a junction for the Tōkaidō Shinkansen—Nozomi, Hikari and Kodama services—linking to Tokyo in about two and a half hours and to Fukuoka in just over three. JR West lines, the municipal subway (Karasuma and Tōzai lines) and private railways (Keihan, Hankyu, Kintetsu) weave through the urban fabric. The limited‑express Haruka connects to Kansai International Airport in seventy‑three minutes.

An extensive bus network, with announcements and displays in English, serves residents and tourists alike. Narrow streets and limited bicycle parking make cycling both common and occasionally risky. National Highways 1, 8, 9, 24, 162, 171, 367, 477 and 478 traverse the city; the Meishin Expressway (East and South interchanges), the Kyoto Jūkan Expressway and the Second Keihan Highway offer access to regional destinations. Though once vital for trade, waterways now survive mainly for sightseeing: excursion boats ply the Hozu River and cormorant fishing continues on the Ōi River.

Approximately two thousand religious sites—1,600 Buddhist temples and 400 Shinto shrines—dot Kyoto’s templescape. UNESCO’s “Historic Monuments of Ancient Kyoto” designation encompasses fourteen city‑based sites, from the gilded pavilion of Rokuon‑ji (Kinkaku‑ji) in the north to the wooden veranda of Kiyomizu‑dera in the east, plus landmarks such as Nijō Castle and Nishi Hongan‑ji. Beyond Kyoto proper, Uji and Ōtsu add three more heritage loci. The Agency for Cultural Affairs’ move here underscores Kyoto’s centrality in safeguarding Japan’s artistic and religious patrimony.

Imperial properties open by reservation include the Kyoto Imperial Palace and Sentō Palace in the central district, Katsura Villa in the west and Shugakuin Villa to the north. Each retains formal gardens, tea houses and historic architecture. Applications open three months before the desired month; slots for the Sentō and the villas fill within days, while palace tours are more readily available. All tours are free, with English pamphlets provided; direct inquiries can sometimes secure last‑minute admissions.

Districts of Kyoto: 

• — Central Kyoto: Where modernity and history meet, the glass‑and‑steel Kyoto Station contrasts with the low‑slung walls of Nijō Castle and the Kyoto Gyoen park surrounding the old palace.
• — Arashiyama (West): Forested hills and riverside paths anchor bamboo groves, Tenryū‑ji temple and vistas from the “Romantic Train.”
• — Higashiyama (East): Between the Kamo River and wooded mountains lie Gion, Ponto‑chō’s lantern‑lit alleys and the Philosopher’s Path threading from Nanzen‑ji to Ginkaku‑ji.
• — Northern Kyoto: Home to Kinkaku‑ji, Ryōan‑ji’s rock garden and quiet temple precincts.
• — Southern Kyoto: Stretching from Ōharano to Fushimi, this zone holds Daigo‑ji temple and suburban shrines.

Kyō‑yasai, the region’s heirloom vegetables, reflect monastic dietary traditions; tofu, yuba and pickles appear alongside seasonal produce. Among the city’s oldest purveyors is Honke Owariya, a soba house founded in 1465 that continues to attract connoisseurs. Film and television production linger in Kyoto’s DNA: Toei Uzumasa Eigamura in Ukyo Ward operates as both theme park and live studio for samurai dramas, inviting visitors to walk on active sets for a ¥2,200 admission.

Since the 13th century, sentō—public bathhouses—have broken down social barriers. Over 140 remain; Funaoka Onsen in Kita Ward (Murasakino Minamifunaokacho 82‑1), open from mid‑afternoon until after midnight for ¥430, showcases early 20th‑century bathhouse architecture and continues to serve both locals and visitors. For quiet reflection, Taizō‑in and Shunko‑in—sub‑temples of Myōshin‑ji in the north—offer Zen meditation sessions with guided instruction; reservations are required.

Kyoto observes the Aoi Matsuri on May 15, a stately procession from the Imperial Palace lawns; the Gion Matsuri in July features floats parading on the 17th; August 16 sees the Gozan no Okuribi fires kindled on the hills to guide ancestral spirits; and the Jidai Matsuri on October 22 recreates pageants in period costume. Spring brings cherry blossoms to Arashiyama, Maruyama Park, the Philosopher’s Path and castle grounds such as Nijō; many sites extend evening hours and light displays. Plum blossoms appear earlier, from mid‑February, at Kitano Tenmangū—where ¥600 grants access to its grove—and at the Kyoto Botanical Gardens, prized for their heady fragrance and delicate pink‑white blooms.

Kyoto persists as an urban palimpsest, where imperial rites, religious devotion and living traditions coexist with research laboratories, office towers and commuter rails. Its streets recall centuries of human endeavour, and its temples stand as silent witnesses to the passage of emperors, monks and visitors alike. Although first impressions may be shaped by sleek modern façades, the city rewards those who venture beyond the station plaza to encounter gardens, shrines and neighbourhoods where past and present continue a quiet dialogue.