Kyoto was the capital of Japan and the residence of the Emperor from 794 until the Meiji Restoration of 1868, when the capital was moved to Tokyo. During its millennium at the center of Japanese power, culture, tradition, and religion, it accumulated an unparalleled collection of palaces, temples and shrines, built for emperors, shoguns, and monks.
Over the centuries, Kyoto was destroyed by many wars and fires, but due to its historic value, the city was dropped from the list of target cities for the atomic bomb and spared from air raids during World War II. Countless temples, shrines and other historically priceless structures survive in the city today.
The historic monuments of Ancient Kyoto are listed by the UNESCO as a World Heritage Site. These include the Kamo Shrines (Kami and Shimo), Kyo Gokokuji (Tō-ji), Kiyomizu dera, Daigoji, Ninnaji, Saihoji (Kokedera), Tenryoji, Rokuonji (Kinkaku-ji), Jishoji (Ginkaku-ji), Ryoanji, Honganji, Kozanji primarily built by the Tokugawa shoguns.
Kyoto offers an incredible number of attractions for tourists who will probably need to plan an itinerary in advance in order to visit as many as possible.
Kyoto is renowned for its abundance of delicious Japanese foods and cuisine. The special circumstances of Kyoto as a city away from the sea and home to many Buddhist temples resulted in the development of a variety of vegetables peculiar to the Kyoto area.
Major festivals punctuate Kyoto's calendar. The first is the Aoi Matsuri on 15 May. Two months later (14 July to to 17) is the Gion Matsuri, culminating in a massive parade. Kyoto marks the Bon Festival with the Gozan Okuribi, lighting fires on mountains to guide the spirits home (16 August). The 22 October Jidai Matsuri, Festival of the Ages, celebrates Kyoto's illustrious past.
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