Description:

Kyoto is considered to be the cultural center of Japan. During thousand years till 1868 it was the capital of Japan and the main Imperial residence. During this time about 1600 Buddhist temples, 400 Shinto heathen temples, numerous palaces and gardens were constructed in Kyoto. Thanks to this rich heritage (according to different calculations about 20% of all Japanese cultural heritage is concentrated here) Kyoto was not bombed during World War II and today this is the single city in the country with so many pre-war buildings. Plenty of preserved temples and palaces are in the UNESCO World Heritage List. Today each temple according to the tradition organizes different celebrations most of them are accessible for public. The main income item is tourism and this not surprising because Kyoto is one of the most popular tourist destinations in Japan, thousands of people come here from all over the world. Kyoto is also the big educational center, it counts 37 institutes of higher education.

Climate

Transport

Historically Kyoto always was the big transportation center of the country and still remains it. The main transportation hub of the city is Kyoto railway station where main railroad lines of the country meet: Tokaido, Sanindo, high-speed trains Shinkaisoku line, Nara railroad and plenty of regional lines. Except railroads Kyoto has developed network of city and private buses. You can reach any part of the city, region or country very fast. The nearest airport is Isaka Itami and Kansai International Airport.