About Kyoto
Kyoto, officially Kyoto City, is the capital
city of Kyoto Prefecture in Japan. Located in the Kansai region
on the island of Honshu, Kyoto forms a part of the Keihanshin
metropolitan area along with Osaka and Kobe. As of 2018, the
city had a population of 1.47 million.
In 794, Kyoto (then known as Heian-kyo) was chosen as the new
seat of Japan's imperial court. The Emperors of Japan ruled from
Kyoto in the following eleven centuries until 1869, when the
court relocated to Tokyo. The city was devastated during the
Ōnin War in the 15th century and went into an extended period of
decline, but gradually revived under the Tokugawa shogunate
(1600-1868) and flourished as a major city in Japan. 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 a major
tourist destination. It is home to numerous Buddhist temples,
Shinto shrines, palaces and gardens, many of which are listed
collectively by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site. Prominent
landmarks include the Kyoto Imperial Palace, Kiyomizu-dera,
Kinkaku-ji, Ginkaku-ji and the Katsura Imperial Villa. Kyoto is
also a center of higher learning, with Kyoto University being an
institution of international renown.
Here we just recommend some sightseeings to you, not the final
arrangement. The detailed arrangement will be updated in the
late of March 2021.
No.1 Arashiyama
Arashiyama is a pleasant, touristy district in the western
outskirts of Kyoto. The area has been a popular destination
since the Heian Period (794-1185), when nobles would enjoy its
natural setting. Arashiyama is particularly popular during the
cherry blossom and fall color seasons.
The Togetsukyo Bridge is Arashiyama's well known, central
landmark. Many small shops, restaurants and other attractions
are found nearby, including Tenryuji Temple, Arashiyama's famous
bamboo groves and pleasure boats that are available for rent on
the river.
North of central Arashiyama the atmosphere becomes less touristy
and more rural, with several small temples scattered along the
base of the wooded mountains. The area north of the Togetsukyo
Bridge is also known as Sagano, while the name "Arashiyama"
technically just refers to the mountains on the southern bank of
the river but is commonly used to name the entire district.
No.2 Tenryuji
Tenryuji is
the most important temple in Kyoto's Arashiyama district. It was
ranked first among the city's five great Zen temples, and is now
registered as a world heritage site. Tenryuji is the head temple
of its own school within the Rinzai Zen sect of Japanese
Buddhism.
Tenryuji was built in 1339 by the ruling shogun Ashikaga
Takauji. Takauji dedicated the temple to Emperor Go-Daigo, who
had just passed away. The two important historic figures used to
be allies until Takauji turned against the emperor in a struggle
for supremacy over Japan. By building the temple, Takauji
intended to appease the former emperor's spirits.
No.3 Kiyomizudera
Kiyomizudera is one of the
most celebrated temples of Japan. It was founded in 780 on the
site of the Otowa Waterfall in the wooded hills east of Kyoto,
and derives its name from the fall's pure waters. The temple was
originally associated with the Hosso sect, one of the oldest
schools within Japanese Buddhism, but formed its own Kita Hosso
sect in 1965. In 1994, the temple was added to the list of
UNESCO world heritage sites.
Kiyomizudera is best known for its wooden stage that juts out
from its main hall, 13 meters above the hillside below. The
stage affords visitors a nice view of the numerous cherry and
maple trees below that erupt in a sea of color in spring and
fall, as well as of the city of Kyoto in the distance. The main
hall, which together with the stage was built without the use of
nails, houses the temple's primary object of worship, a small
statue of the eleven faced, thousand armed Kannon.
No.1 Itsukushima Shrine
It is said that Itsukushima
Shrine, one of the Three Scenic Views of Japan, was established
by Saeki-no-Kuramoto.
In the late Heian Period, the current shrine was constructed in
its present form, as a shrine on the sea, with the assistance of
Taira-no-Kiyomori.
The conception of a shrine whose grounds include the sea, with
its form ever changing with the ebb and flow of the tides, is
like nothing else in the world. In December of the year Heisei 8
(1996), Itsukushima Shrine was registered as a World Heritage
Site.
No.2 Toyokuni Shrine (Senjokaku) / Goju-no-to
The Hall of One Thousand Tatami Mats and the Five-storied Pagoda. Both are located in front of the entrance to Itsukushima Shrine. They were built 500 years ago.
No.3 Omotesando
Omotesando shopping street
is the busiest place in Miyajima for souvenir shops and
restaurants. This area was formed from land reclaimed at the end
of the Edo period.
This area became the main street during the Showa period, as the
area developed economically. Both sides of the street are packed
with souvenir shops and restaurants.
