京都市

京都市

JP
Population1,475,183
Kyoto ( or ; Japanese: 京都, Kyōto [kʲoꜜː.to] ), officially Kyoto City (京都市, Kyōto-shi; [kʲoː.toꜜ.ɕi] ), is the capital city of Kyoto Prefecture in the Kansai region of Japan's largest and most populous island of Honshu. As of 2020, the city had a population of 1.46 million, making it the ninth-most populous city in Japan. More than half (56.8%) of Kyoto Prefecture's population resides in the city. The city is the cultural anchor of the substantially larger Greater Kyoto, a metropolitan statistical area (MSA) home to a census-estimated 3.8 million people. It is also part of the even larger Keihanshin metropolitan area, along with Osaka and Kobe. Kyoto is one of the oldest municipalities in Japan, having been chosen in 794 as the new seat of Japan's imperial court by Emperor Kanmu. The original city, named Heian-kyō, was arranged in accordance with traditional Chinese feng shui following the model of the ancient Chinese capitals of Chang'an and Luoyang. The emperors of Japan ruled from Kyoto in the following eleven centuries until 1869. It was the scene of several key events of the Muromachi period, Sengoku period, and the Boshin War, such as the Ōnin War, the Honnō-ji Incident, the Kinmon incident, and the Battle of Toba–Fushimi. The capital was relocated from Kyoto to Tokyo after the Meiji Restoration. The modern municipality of Kyoto was established in 1889. The city was spared from large-scale destruction during World War II and, as a result, its prewar cultural heritage has mostly been preserved. Kyoto is considered the cultural capital of Japan and is a major tourist destination. The agency for cultural affairs of the national government is headquartered in the city. It is home to numerous Buddhist temples, Shinto shrines, palaces and gardens, some of which have been designated collectively as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. Prominent landmarks include the Kyoto Imperial Palace, Kiyomizu-dera, Kinkaku-ji, Ginkaku-ji, and Kyoto Tower. The internationally renowned video game company Nintendo is based in Kyoto. Kyoto is also a center of higher learning in the country, and its institutions include Kyoto University, the second-oldest university in Japan.

Places to Explore

Curated experiences in 京都市

琵琶湖疏水記念館

琵琶湖疏水記念館

島津製作所創業記念資料館

島津製作所創業記念資料館

泉屋博古館

泉屋博古館

Sen-oku Hakuko Kan (泉屋博古館) is located in Kyoto, Japan and houses a large collection of Chinese bronze vessels, Chinese and …

三年坂

三年坂

Sannenzaka, or Sannen-zaka (三年坂), is a stone-paved pedestrian road and tourist attraction in Higashiyama-ku, Kyoto, Japan. The road is lined …

立命館大学国際平和ミュージアム

立命館大学国際平和ミュージアム

The Kyoto Museum for World Peace (立命館大学国際平和ミュージアム, Ritsumeikan Daigaku Kokusai Heiwa Myūjiamu) is part of Ritsumeikan University in Kita-ku, Kyoto, …

京都国立近代美術館

京都国立近代美術館

The National Museum of Modern Art, Kyoto (京都国立近代美術館, Kyōto Kokuritsu Kindai Bijutsukan) is an art museum in Kyoto, Japan. This …

宝物殿

宝物殿

新京極通

新京極通

Shinkyōgoku Street (新京極通 しんきょうごくどおり Shinkyōgoku Dōri) is a shopping street that runs from north to south in the center of …

二年坂

二年坂

Ninenzaka, or Ninen-zaka (二年坂) is an ancient 150m stone-paved pedestrian road and tourist attraction in Higashiyama-ku, Kyoto, Japan. The road …

金閣

金閣

滋賀県立琵琶湖文化館

滋賀県立琵琶湖文化館

The Museum of Shiga Prefecture Biwako-Bunkakan (滋賀県立琵琶湖文化館) is a museum in the capital city of Shiga Prefecture, Japan. First opened …

ジオラマ京都JAPAN

ジオラマ京都JAPAN

Kyoto Seishu Netsuke Art Museum

Kyoto Seishu Netsuke Art Museum

京都タワー

京都タワー

Kyoto Tower (京都タワー, Kyōto-tawā) is an observation tower located in Kyoto, Japan. The steel tower is the tallest structure in …

高麗美術館

高麗美術館

The Koryo Museum of Art (高麗美術館, Kōrai Bijutsukan; Korean: 고려미술관) is a Korean art museum in Kyoto, Japan. It was …

風俗博物館

風俗博物館

藤井斉成会有鄰館

藤井斉成会有鄰館

The Yūrinkan Museum (有鄰館) or Fujii Saiseikai Yūrinkan (藤井斉成会有鄰館) is a private museum of East Asian art in Kyōto, Japan. …

細見美術館

細見美術館

Hosomi Museum (細見美術館, Hosomi Bijutsukan) opened near Okazaki Park (岡崎公園) in Kyoto, Japan, in 1998. The collection, begun by Osaka …

樂美術館

樂美術館

幕末維新ミュージアム霊山歴史館

幕末維新ミュージアム霊山歴史館

The Ryozen Museum of History (幕末維新ミュージアム 霊山歴史館, Bakumatsu Ishin Myūjiamu: Ryōzen Rekishikan) is a history museum located in Kyoto, Japan. …

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