Kyoto, Japan — Overview
Kyoto offers a sophisticated mix of old and new Japan – from exquisitely woven silk kimono to hi-tech innovations, the city adapts in its own way and at its own pace. Kyoto is the treasure house of Japan. Having escaped the destruction of WWII, it remains the cultural heart of the nation, with more than 2,000 temples and shrines and no fewer than 17 major UNESCO World Heritage sites in and around the city. Ancient festivals and ceremonies are still performed. Despite modernization, the preservation of old wooden machiya townhouses and the undeveloped verdant hills and mountains which surround the city give the visitor a vivid impression of what traditional Japan must have been like. The traditional artistic and cultural scene in Kyoto has remained strong and enduring, and renewed local and international interest in the geisha tradition has helped to preserve much of city's living arts.
