This page is about the city Kyoto. For the convention see Kyoto Protocol .
is a
City in
Japan , which has a population close to 1.5 million. Formerly the imperial capital of Japan, it is now the capital of
Kyoto Prefecture , as well as a major part of the
Osaka-Kobe-Kyoto metropolitan area.
Though
Archaeological evidence places the first human settlement on the islands of Japan to approximately
10,000 BC , relatively little is known about human activity in the area before the
6th Century . During the
8th Century , when the powerful
Buddhist clergy became meddlesome in the affairs of the Imperial government, the Emperor chose to relocate the capital to a region far from the Buddhist influence.
The new city, (平安京 ".) After
Edo was renamed to
Tokyo (meaning "Eastern Capital"), Kyoto was known for a short time as '''Saikyo''' (西京 ''Saikyō'', meaning "Western Capital").
An obsolete spelling for the city's name is ; it was formerly known to the West as '''Meaco''' (
Japanese : 都; miyako "capital").
Although there was some consideration by the
United States of targeting Kyoto with the
Atomic Bomb at the end of
World War II , in the end it was decided to remove the city from the list of targets. (''See
Atomic Bombings Of Hiroshima And Nagasaki '')
Kyoto is the only large Japanese city that still has an abundance of prewar buildings, such as
Machiya (traditional townhouses). However, modernization is continually breaking down the traditional Kyoto in favor of newer architecture, such as the controversial
Kyoto Station complex.
Kyoto became a
City Designated By Government Ordinance on
September 1 ,
1956 . In
1997 , Kyoto hosted the conference that resulted in the
Protocol on
Greenhouse Gas emissions that bears the city's name.
A common English pronunciation of Kyoto has three sounds as ''key-oh-toe''; however, the Japanese pronunciation is ''kyoh'' and ''to'' ().
Kyoto is located on the middle-western portion of the island of
Honshu . Due to the surrounding mountains on all sides, Kyoto is famous for its stifling summer nights with no air movement.
The original city (the modern-day wards of
Nakagyo ,
Shimogyo , and
Kamigyo ) was laid out in a grid pattern (modelled after the ancient Chinese capital during the
Tang Dynasty ,
Changan ) in accordance with traditional
Chinese Geomancy , with the Imperial Palace facing south. The Imperial Palace's southward orientation is also the reason why
Sakyo-ku (the "Left Capital") is in the east,
Ukyo-ku (the "Right Captial") is in the west. Today, the main business district is located in the south and center of town, with the less populated northern area retaining a far greener feel. Surrounding areas do not follow the same grid pattern as the center of the city, though streets throughout Kyoto share the distinction of having names (as Japanese streets typically are not named).
Kyoto is surrounded on three sides by mountains known as Higashiyama, Kitayama and Nishiyama, with a height just under 1000 meters above sea level.
, a temple in Kyoto. The pagoda is a symbol of the city, and the tallest
Pagoda in
Japan .]]
Kyoto has 11
Wards (''ku''). For a list, see the article
Wards Of Kyoto .
As of
2005 , the city has an estimated
Population of 1.474.764 and the
Density of 1775 persons per
Km² . The total area is 827.90 km².
Kyoto is considered the cultural center of Japan. During
World War II when firebombing was conducted throughout the country, Kyoto and its 1600
Buddhist temples, 400
Shinto Shrines , palaces, gardens and architecture were spared, leaving it one of the best preserved cities in Japan. The Kyoto area has some of the most famous temples, shrines, palaces and gardens in Japan, including:
'']]
at
Fushimi Inari Shrine]]
Other notable sites in and around Kyoto include
Arashiyama and its picturesque lake, the
Gion and
Pontochō Geisha quarters, the
Philosopher's Walk , and the canals which line some of the older streets.
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-O-Gokokuji (Toji),
Kiyomizu-dera ,
Daigoji ,
Ninnaji ,
Saihoji (the Moss Temple),
Tenryuji ,
Rokuonji (Kinkaku-ji),
Jishoji (Ginkaku-ji),
Ryoan-ji ,
Honganji ,
Kozan-ji and the
Nijo Castle . Other sites outside the city are also on the list.
Kyoto is renowned for its abundance of delicious ethnic foods and cuisine. The history of Kyoto have allowed to retain a variety of vegetables.
Kyoto natives also speak a
Japanese Dialect called ''Kyoto-ben'', a variation on the Kansai dialect spoken throughout western Japan. One typical example is the word "ookini," meaning "thank you."
's
The Thinker at the
Kyoto National Museum ]]
Tourism forms a large base of Kyoto's economy. The city's cultural heritages are constantly visited by school groups from across Japan, and many foreign tourists also stop in Kyoto.
The city's industry is mainly comprised of small plants, most of which are run by artisans who produce traditional Japanese crafts. Kyoto's
Kimono weavers are particularly renowned, and the city remains the premier center of kimono manufacturing. Such businesses, vibrant in past centuries, have declined in recent years as sales of traditional goods stagnate.
Kyoto's only sizable heavy industry is electronics: the city is home to the headquarters of
Nintendo , as well as the headquarters of
OMRON Corporation ,
Kyocera (''Kyo''to ''Cera''mic) Corporation, and
Murata Manufacturing . The apparel giant Wacoal Corporation also operates in Kyoto. However, the growth of high-tech industry has not outpaced the decline in traditional industry, and as a result, Kyoto's total output has declined relative to other cities in Japan.
Kyoto is known as one of the academic centers of the country, and is home to thirty-seven institutions of higher education. The three largest and best-known local universities are
Doshisha University ,
Kyoto University , and
Ritsumeikan University . Among them, Kyoto University is considered to be one of the top universities in Japan, with several Nobel laureates such as
Yukawa Hideki .
Kyoto also has a unique higher education network called the ''Consortium of Universities in Kyoto'', which consists of three national, five public (prefectural and municipal), and 41 private universities, as well as the city and four other organizations. The consortium does not offer a degree; hence is not a federal body like
University Of London , but offers the courses as part of a degree at participating universities.
at night]]
Kansai International Airport is 72 minutes from Kyoto by train (the Haruka Express). Many foreign visitors to Kyoto arrive by
Shinkansen from
Tokyo , which takes just over two hours. There are also regular
JR ,
Keihan Railway ,
Hankyu Railway , and
Kintetsu services to other cities in the
Kansai region.
The subway and bus systems (see
Kyoto Municipal Transportation Bureau ) are fairly extensive. Most tourist points in the city are not a walkable distance away from each other, making the bus a practical transportation option.
Central Kyoto has streets in a grid pattern. Many large east-west avenues have numbers, including Nijo and Sanjo (''ni'' means "two" and ''san'' means "three"). Kyoto Station lies along Hachijo. Major north-south roads have names such as Karasuma and Horikawa. The subway has two lines. The
Karasuma Line follows Karasuma Street from Kyoto Station north, with stops at many numbered avenues, and also at Imadegawa (a major street). The other line,
Tozai Line , runs east-west partly under Oike Street.
district during
Gion Festival ]]
In
Football (soccer), Kyoto is represented by
Kyoto Purple Sanga who rose to
J. League 's Division 1 in 2005. With the popularity of the nearby
Hanshin Tigers , Kyoto has never had a team in
Japanese Professional Baseball , though the Tigers play several neutral-site games at Kyoto's Nishi Kyogoku stadium every year.
Additionally, Kyoto's high school baseball teams are strong, with Heian and Toba in particular making strong showings recently at the
Annual Tournament held in
Koshien Stadium ,
Nishinomiya , near Osaka.
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