Kyoto was the
political capital of Japan for more than
1,000 years - from 794 until 1868, when the government was transferred to Edo (Tokyo). It remains the
cultural heart of the Japanese nation, and with more than
2,000 temples and
shrines, it is a place of pilgrimage as well as a veritable
open-air museum. No fewer than
17 major sites in and around the city have gained
UNESCO World Heritage status.
It is in Kyoto, more than anywhere else in Japan, that the old ways of the country’s
old imperial civilization are kept alive,
both in the arts and in real life. From
geisha to
kabuki actors, the past is still present in the old capital, and this is also reflected in the physical environment; the city has managed to retain (not least since Kyoto was
spared bombardment at the end of
WWII) the
ambience of old at least in some areas, where
temples, shrines, teahouses and old wooden
machiya townhouses give the visitor a vivid impression of what
traditional Japan must have been like.
While it is true that
modernization has not always been gentle to old Kyoto, as
concrete, steel and
neon have become dominant features in large parts of the cityscape, on the whole Japan’s old capital remains an extremely
attractive place. As a meeting place between
old and
new and also between
Japanese and
international cultural impulses, Kyoto is a
vibrant city with a
rich urban culture and an artistic and
cultural scene second to none in Japan.
Whether you prefer traditional kabuki theater or modern avant-garde performance art, you can find it in Kyoto. Moreover, it is a great city for
festivals, with a
busy all-year program culminating in the marvelous
Gion Matsuri and the beautiful
Yamaboko Junko float parade in July.
And if the cultural riches and street-life buzz can be overwhelming, there is always plenty of
nature offering relief
nearby, whether in the city’s
gardens and
parks or in the lovely
mountains and
hills surrounding the city.
The Columbus World Travel Guide has been published for 26 years and is sold in over 90 countries worldwide.
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The Columbus World Travel Guide has been published for 26 years and is sold in over 90 countries worldwide.
Word Travels is a comprehensive travel guide covering hundreds of cities and holiday resorts in more than 125 countries.
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