Explore the Japanese City of Kyoto with TourJapan.com

For 11 centuries Kyoto was the capital city of Japan and home to its imperial palace and court. These long years have dragged the city into many political turbulences, wars and conflicts, but has also helped to establish its position as a powerful major Japanese city and a valuable historical asset. Almost unharmed by the bombings of World War Two, Kyoto today has 1.5 million residences and is highly preserved. It offers an incredible selection of Shinto shrines, palaces, varied museums Buddhist temples and parks.

Places to Visit in Kyoto

Kiyomizu-dera is a Buddhist temple dated back as far as 798 AC that in clear days offers an incredible view of Kyoto. Its existing buildings were made around 1633 and the temple is a UNESCO World Heritage site. The beauty Kiyomizu-dera is almost beyond belief. Even though it is made of wood, it was constructed without the use of nails and includes incredible waterfalls, sacred ponds and several remarkable shrines.

Unlike the Imperial Palace in Tokyo, where visitors are prohibited from going to most parts of the site, the ancient Imperial Palace in Kyoto is open for public. The emperor of Japan has not lived in this palace since the Meiji Restoration in the 19th century, but tourists can walk the magnificent grounds freely and join conducted tours to the palace itself several times each day.

Kyoto is the center of television and film making in Japan and is also home to the Kyoto International Manga Museum. This unique museum offers a breathtaking collection of over 200,000 pieces and is not to be missed. It is much more than a mere assortment of cartoons and includes magazines from the Meiji period as well as early 20th century books.

The Golden Pavilion Temple, known in Japanese as the Kinkaku-ji Temple is a small yet well known sight. It is only two stories high, but the two upper floors are incrusted with pure gold. The beauty of the place is enhanced by its reflection in the bordering pond and the magical garden around it. This enchanting temple should not be confused with Ginkaku-ji, the Silver Pavilion Temple. The Ginkaku-ji definitely makes a worthwhile visit, but is less glamorous than Kinkaku-ji. In spite of its promising name plans to cover the building with silver were never actualized before its maker's death. However, the place remains an impressive Buddhist temple, and visitors may lose themselves wondering through the place's delightful garden and grounds.

Many books can be written about Kyoto - its history, culture, extraordinary dishes and thousands of religious and historical assets. A visitor who travels to Kyoto may wonder for weeks discovering new parts and sides of this legendary city. For more information regarding the places to see in Kyoto and sights you don't want to miss, try kyoto.travel/place_to_go or globosapiens.net.