Kyoto Japan,Kyoto Travel Guide

Kyoto Japan : Kyoto, Japan’s most historically important town, is the country’s sightseeing capital, packed with 1,700 Buddhist temples, 300 Shinto shrines, imperial palaces, gardens and traditional wooden homes, all well preserved and presenting a picture of traditional Japanese culture. The city lies in the mid-western Kansai district on the island of Honshu, surrounded by plains full of rice paddies.
Visitors arriving from the Kansai International Airport or on board the famous Shinkansen bullet train at Kyoto’s modern central station may be disenchanted to initially discover a thriving, overcrowded industrial city with a straight grid of uniform streets presided over by the futuristic Kyoto Tower.

Kyoto Japan : Gion
Most visitors to Japan are fascinated with the traditional Geisha: white-faced kimono-clad women specially trained to entertain and spoil men in a soothing setting. Kyoto boasts one of the most famous Geisha districts in the country, a neighbourhood of plain wooden buildings to the east of the Kamo River known as Gion. There were once thousands of Geisha and maiko (apprentice Geisha) performing their genteel tasks in this area. Today the number has dwindled to a few hundred, but visitors who stroll the Hanami-koji street at sunset, past teahouses and restaurants, will probably catch a glimpse of one or two en route to the geisha houses in their clattering wooden shoes. The geisha houses themselves are strictly off-limits to anyone not properly introduced and invited, but from behind the paper screens you will hear the strains of music and laughter. While geisha-spotting in the Gion district, take in the Yasaka Shrine with its many paper lanterns, and the Minamiza Kabuki Theatre.

Kyoto Japan : Golden Pavilion (Kinkakuji)
One of Kyoto’s most popular attractions is to the north of the city. The Golden Pavilion (Kinkakuji) is a three-storey pavilion covered in gold leaf, glittering in the waters of a calm pond. Kinkakuji was built in 1397 as a retirement home for Shogun Ashikaga Yoshimitsu, who lived there in luxury until he died in 1408, after which the building was converted into a Zen temple. In 1950 a mad monk burnt the pavilion down, and it was not rebuilt until 1955. Today it is covered in gold leaf five times thicker than the original coating, and presents an awesome sight. A short walk from the pavilion is Ryoanji, Japan’s most famous Zen rock garden, laid out in the 15th century. A veranda overlooks the garden in which 15 rocks are set among raked white pebbles.

Kyoto Japan : Kiyomizu-dera
The 'Pure water temple', Kiyomizu-dera, is one of Japan's most celebrated temples, founded in 780 and associated with Nara Buddhism, the oldest sect in Japan. The temple's main feature is the lovely view afforded of the wooded hills of eastern Kyoto from its terrace. Below the terrace is the spring from which the temple got its name; visitors can sample the water, which is said to have healing powers. Nearby is an interesting three-storey pagoda, and the Otawa Falls. The approach to the temple along Kiyomizu-michi or Gojo-zaka is steep and narrow, the streets lined with stores specialising in local sweets, pottery and the inevitable souvenirs. Behind the temple is the Shinto Jishu Shrine, dedicated to the god of love.

Kyoto Japan : Kyoto Imperial Palace
Japan’s imperial family lived in the Kyoto palace from 1331 until 1868 (when they moved to Tokyo), and today visitors can view the furnishings and delicate decorations on guided one-hour tours of the city’s Imperial Palace. It is necessary to reserve a tour in advance by calling at the Imperial Household Agency office in the Kyoto Imperial Park, which surrounds the palace. To join a tour you need to produce your passport.

Kyoto Japan : Nara
The city of Nara, 26 miles (42km) south of Kyoto, could be regarded as the place where Japan’s culture was formalised. The city, originally called Heijo, became the first permanent capital of the country in 710. Although its capital status only lasted for 74 years, they were years that entrenched and enshrined Japan’s arts, crafts and literature. Nara flourished as a political and cultural centre and thus was blessed with numerous temples, shrines, pagodas and palaces, which today attract locals and foreigners intent on glimpsing historic Japan. Most of Nara’s historic treasures are contained in a vast park which has been designated a World Heritage Site, making sightseeing easy and pleasurable. Highlights are Todaiji, the huge temple that contains Japan’s largest Buddha statue, and Horyuji, the temple containing the world’s oldest wooden structures.

Kyoto Japan : The city may present a modern face, but explore behind the scenes in the outer districts or off the beaten track in the old merchants' quarters and you will glimpse cameos and images of traditional Japan, from cherry blossom to geishas, and bonsai trees to shoji screens.
Apart from the architectural legacy, which was fortunately spared the heavy bombings inflicted on other Japanese cities during World War II, Kyoto also boasts some of Japan’s most significant art works, a culturally traditional way of life, and superior cuisine. No visit to Japan is complete without devoting time to experience Kyoto.

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