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. 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.
