Kyoto

Kamo River Bank at its pass through Kyoto, during the Hanami.

Kyoto (☰ ✕, Kyōto-shi^?, in Spanish "citizen capital"; Japanese pronunciation: [kjo felt] (?·i)) is an important city in Japan, located in the central part of the island of Honshu. It is the capital of the homonymous prefecture and has traditionally also been considered the capital of the Kansai region, although this is only a geographical reference rather than a particular administrative territory. It is also integrated into the Keihanshin metropolitan region, composed of the surrounding areas of Osaka, Kobe and Kyoto. It has a population of about 1 465 000 (as of 2020), among the most populous Japanese cities. The total area of the city's territory is 827.83 km2.

Its historical importance is due to the fact that between 794 and 1868 it was the capital of Japan, hosting the imperial court and other institutions. In 1868, Emperor Meiji decided to move the court headquarters to Tokyo, leaving the city permanently in the background. During World War II it was the only major Japanese city not to be bombed by the US Air Force. For this reason, to this day it continues to be one of the important Japanese cities, with a rich historical, artistic and architectural heritage. On December 11, 1997, the signing of a protocol that pursued the objective of reducing greenhouse gas emissions that cause global warming took place in this city. The international agreement would end up being popularly known as the Kyoto Protocol.

Kyoto has a well-developed road and rail transportation network. Although it does not have its own airport, there are two international airports nearby, such as Osaka and Kansai. Its historical and monumental heritage, and its various scenic and cultural spaces make it an important center for receiving tourism (both national and international). Among its most representative monuments are the Imperial Palace, Nijō Castle, Kinkaku-ji and Ginkaku-ji, or the Heian Shrine and Fushimi Inari-taisha, in addition to many others. Since 1994, part of these monuments have been recognized by Unesco as World Heritage Sites, along with other monuments located in the cities of Uji and Otsu.

Kyoto University, founded in 1897 and with 22,192 students, is considered one of the best universities in Japan. According to the ranking list of the British magazine Times Higher Education, Kyoto University would be in second position among Japanese universities and in 25th position among all universities in the world.

Identity elements

Toponymy

Official flag and emblem of Kyoto.

Throughout its history, the city has been referred to in Japanese as Kyō (京 , Kyō^?), Miyako (< span class="t_nihongo_kanji" lang="ja">都, Miyako^?) o Kyō no Miyako (京の都, Kyō no Miyako< span class="t_nihong o_help">^?). In the 11th century, the city was renamed Kyoto (literally: 'capital city') influenced by the Chinese ideogram for Jīngdū (京都, < span class="t_nihongo_romaji">Jīngdū^? 'capital city&# 39;). After Edo was renamed Tokyo (English: 'Eastern Capital'), Kyoto was known for a time as Saikyō (西京, Saikyō^? 'Capital of the West'). There was also an obsolete name for the city: in the West it was formally known as Meaco or Miako (都, Miyako< sup>?), which meant 'Imperial Palace Headquarters' or 'Capital'. Another term commonly used to refer to the city in the premodern period was Keishi (京師, Keishi^?), translated by 'metropolis' or 'capital'.

Symbols

Kyoto has its own flag and coat of arms. The city's flag came into use on January 1, 1960. The shield's design is made up of a miniature version of Kyoto's emblem, which was originally decided on October 2, 1891. This is surrounded by an arabesque rendition. of a court chariot wheel. The emblem is represented in gold and the wheel in purple, symbol of the ancient capital.

As in many other Japanese cities, a selection of flowers and trees are also the symbol of the city. As representative trees are the Salix babylonica (weeping willow), Acer, and the Cercidiphyllum japonicum (katsura), while as flowers are the camellia, the azalea and the cherry tree, Japanese flower par excellence. They were selected by the citizens of Kyoto in 1972, as a means of promoting activities to care for and protect nature.

History

Although archaeological evidence places the first human settlement on the Japanese islands at approximately 10,000 B.C. The Kyoto area was not settled until the 7th century by the Hata clan. As early as 678 the Kamo Shrine (賀茂神社, , Kamo-jinja^?), being one of the few human settlements that existed in the region at that time., surrounded by mountains, was located in the central-western part of the island of Honshu.

Kyoto, the capital of Japan

Miniature model of the city (self-sufficient, with the Palace in the center) and a panoramic view of Heian-kyō.

At the end of the eighth century, Emperor Kanmu decided to build a new capital, abandoning Heijō-kyō (present-day Nara), which had been the Japanese capital since 710. Historically it has been argued that the reasons for this transfer was in order to get rid of the growing influence of the Buddhist monasteries on the imperial court of Nara. The Emperor and his court were temporarily transferred to Nagaoka-kyō, the new city was built by imperial order in 793 at the hands of Fujiwara no Ogurimaru.

The following year, it was decided to transfer the capital to the newly founded city that would be located 50 km north of Nara. The city was named Heian-kyō (平安京, Heian-kyō^? 'Capital of Tranquility'), a name that was also used to call his time, known as the Heian period. For the Japan of those times, the construction of a city of this size it was an ambitious decision, given the backward conditions of the country and its still very sparse population. The arrangement of its main streets following the pattern of a chessboard still reflects the Chinese model of a city that existed a thousand years ago. In turn, this would be established on a valley and would be drawn in the form of a chessboard, imitating the Chinese capital of the Tang dynasty: Chang'an. It had a rectangular area of approximately 4.5 km in diameter. east to west and 5.2 km from north to south, with the only exception being the two temples at the south gate: the Sai-ji and the Tō-ji—then, the only two temples allowed.

The main palace would be in an inner rectangle in the northern part of the city. In these times, the machiya, small traditional wooden houses that populated the landscape of Japanese cities, appeared, and Heian-kyō was no exception. The designation of the word Kiōto ('capital& #39; or 'imperial residence') was not official at the time of its inauguration, but the name would become official at the end of the century xi, displacing the original name. In 1180, the capital was moved to the city of Fukuhara-kyō (福原京, Fukuhara-kyō< /span>^?), although it was only for a few months and after this hiatus he returned to Kyoto. The decision obeyed the wishes of Taira no Kiyomori, an important aristocrat who with this transfer —precisely, to his traditional fiefdom— sought to ensure control of the Imperial Court.

Japanese map of ancient Kyoto, 1696.

However, since the establishment of the shogunates, the political leadership moved to other points of power. In this sense, the city was relegated to a secondary role, although it continued to host the seat of the court and a large part of the central administration, noble fiefs and a large number of religious centers. And it is that the court and the emperor remained in Kyoto but they had practically lost their power and influence in national decisions, living in a kind of spiritual retreat. Even so, by then, Kyoto was the largest city in the entire country, it was considered the cultural and religious center of Japan, and had an important development.

During the Kamakura shogunate and, later, the Tokugawa shogunate, Kyoto remained the Japanese capital de iure, although it coexisted with the other capitals that, de facto, they constituted the true centers of power (in the first case it was the city of Kamakura). In 1333 the Kamakura regime fell; but, as part of these internal conflicts, between 1336 and 1392, the Imperial Court of Kyoto was faced with another parallel that had been installed in Yoshino, both competing for imperial legitimacy until Kyoto was definitively the only legitimate seat. In the time of the Ashikaga shogunate, the city returned to be the center of power, although the Imperial Court remained in a secondary position. A good number of historical buildings will be built during this period, such as the temples of Tenryū-ji (in 1339), Kinkaku-ji ('Temple of the Golden Pavilion', 1397), Ryōan-ji (1450), or the Ginkaku-ji ('Temple of the Silver Pavilion', 1474). Overall, this was a time of great prosperity for the city.

The prosperity of medieval Kyoto was cut short by the outbreak of the Ōnin Wars, a series of conflicts and civil wars that tore the country apart for ten years (1467-1477) and left deep scars for the next century. The city It would suffer numerous and important damages during these wars, such as the burning and destruction of temples and homes, as well as the transformation of luxurious noble homes into fortresses to protect themselves from attacks by other clans. Around 1550 the Spanish missionary monk would arrive in the city Francisco Javier, one of the first Westerners to visit the Japanese archipelago and, of course, to set foot in the capital city.

Between 1600 and 1615, the noble Tokugawa Ieyasu ended the wars and managed to unify the country, establishing a new shogunate in what is called the Edo period. Once his power was consolidated, Ieyasu installed his center of power in Edo, in the Kantō region, and Kyoto was once again relegated as a secondary center. However, while Edo and Osaka were the main economic centers of Japan, in this respect, the seat of the court held a position secondary. In any case, the city remained one of the main cities of the shogunate, and by the early 18th century, it already had a population of 400,000 (Edo had around a million). Being displaced politically was not prevented it from remaining the cultural and religious heart of the shogunate, highlighting numerous artists, ukiyo-e painters, philosophers and writers who were born or trained in Kyoto. Over the centuries xvii and xviii will be a prestigious cultural center, in addition to recovering its previous production of fine crafts. Despite the relative recovery, the city suffered fires that destroyed it on several occasions, such as the Great Fire of Tenmei (1788).

Meiji Restoration

In the last years of the Tokugawa shogunate, the so-called Bakumatsu began, a period of political and social instability that increased until it endangered the very existence of the political system.

From Kyoto, the main street, 1891.

Kyoto, as the seat of the imperial court and official capital, seemed to regain political prominence after so many years of lethargy, although Edo was often the true political and administrative center. On August 20, 1864, a revolt broke out in the city, the so-called Hamaguri rebellion, grouped around the Sonnō jōi (尊王攘夷, Sonnō jōi^? 'Revere the Emperor, drive out the barbarians&# 39;). Although the attempt was harshly repressed by the shogun's forces, two thirds of the city —around 28,000 houses— were devastated during the fighting and fires that took place during the revolt. Far from consolidating the situation, instability increased and in the mid-1860s it seemed that the political situation would end up overthrowing the shogunal regime. Thus, on the morning of January 3, 1868, there was a coup in which troops under the command of the samurai leader Saigō Takamori seized the gates of the Imperial Palace and took control of it. An assembly was immediately convened from which a decree was issued that stripped the shogun, Yoshinobu Tokugawa, of all his powers. In the same text it was clearly established that the responsibility of governing the country corresponded to the emperor.

This coup d'état did not solve all the problems and, in fact, some Tokugawa feudal allies sent troops to the city to reverse or try to modify the imperial decision. On the then periphery of the city the battle of Toba took place -Fushimi, which spelled the final fall of the Tokugawa shogunate regime and brought the new Meiji regime to power. The political and military victory over the shogunate was not firm enough to shore up the resistance of the imperial regime, and profound measures would be required. One step in this direction was the transfer of the emperor and the court—and with it, the capital—to the shogun's former castle in Edo, which was renamed Tōkiō or 'Capital of the East'. Before Edo was renamed, Kyoto was briefly known as Saikyō (西京, Saikyō^? 'Capital of the West'). Nevertheless, in 1872, the new Meiji Government granted it city status (fu).

Contemporary period

Street of the Gion neighborhood. The buildings maintain the style of the late twentieth century.

Although it had definitely ceased to be the center of Japanese political power, Kyoto experienced a slow recovery: a new University was inaugurated in 1889, work on the Lake Biwa canal was completed in 1890, the railway arrived in 1889 —remaining connected with the cities of Osaka and Tokyo—or completed the construction of the new Heian Shrine in 1895, commemorating the 1,100th anniversary of its founding. The population already exceeded one million by 1932, as proof of this late recovery.

Unlike most major Japanese cities, Kyoto was not bombed during World War II due to its rich cultural heritage and important historical legacy. And, although it was originally going to be a target for atomic bombs, the plan was canceled by the US Secretary of War, Henry L. Stimson, as he wanted to save this cultural center that he had already known during his honeymoon and, later, during several diplomatic visits.

That is why today it is the only major city in Japan that still has many pre-war buildings. From 1964, with the arrival of the Shinkansen and the inauguration of the Kyoto Tower, the modernization of traditional Kyoto began; although this means the progressive disappearance of traditional Kyoto, which is being replaced by new architectural styles such as the controversial Kyoto Station complex, inaugurated in 1997. The Osaka Expo '70, held in 1970, was felt throughout the Kansai region and also in Kyoto. 1994 was one of the great moments of the city, when UNESCO declared World Heritage Sites thirteen Buddhist temples, three Shinto shrines and Nijō Castle, built or remodeled in the nearly three centuries from the Tokugawa shogunate to the Meiji Restoration (1603-1808), when the imperial capital was moved to Tokyo. Three years after this nomination, Kyoto was once again in the spotlight for being the venue where the most important treaty to date on climate change and air pollution was signed, the so-called Kyoto Protocol. The agreement was signed on December 11, 1997, although it would not enter into force until February 16, 2005.

Geography

Location

The city of Kyoto is located southeast of the homonymous prefecture of which it is the capital (and to which it also gives its name). The original city was designed in traditional Chinese feng shui style, modeled after the ancient Chinese capital of Chang'an (present-day Xi'an). The Imperial Palace faces south, resulting in Ukio (the right sector of the capital) being in the west, while Sakyo (the left sector) in the east. the streets of the modern neighborhoods of Nakagyo, Shimogyo, and Kamigyo follow a grid pattern. Today, the main business district is located to the south of the old Imperial Palace, with the less populated northern area retaining a much greener feel. However, the surroundings do not follow the grid pattern that does exist in the center of the city, although many of the streets in Kyoto do share the distinction of having common names.

Northwest:: Nantan	North:: Nantan	Northeast:: Shiga Prefecture
West:: Kamemoka		This:: Shiga Prefecture
Southwest:: Mukō, Nagaokakyō, Osaka Prefecture	South:: Uji, Kumikaya	Sureste:: Shiga Prefecture

Orography

It is situated in a valley, which is part of the Yamashiro Basin in the eastern part of the mountainous region known as the Tamba Highlands. The Yamashiro Basin is surrounded on three sides by mountains known as Higashiyama, Kitayama, and Nishiyama, with a height just over 1,000 m above sea level. This results in positioning the interior in hot summers and cold winters. There are three rivers in the basin: the Ujigawa to the south, the Katsuragawa to the west, and the Kamogawa to the east. Kyoto city occupies 17.9% of the territory of the Prefecture, with a total area of 827.9 km².

Hydrology

Typical Japanese garden in Kyoto.

Kyoto sits on a large natural water reservoir with plenty of freshwater wells to offer the city, especially the reservoirs at Lake Biwa. Due to large-scale urbanization, the amount of rainfall flowing into the mesa is decreasing, and wells in the area are drying up at an increasing rate.

Climatology

The city and prefecture of Kyoto have a humid subtropical climate, according to the Köppen climate classification, which is why a climate characterized by hot and humid summers predominates, as well as cold and dry winters. The following table shows show the average annual temperatures:

Average Kyoto climate parameters
Month	Ene.	Feb.	Mar.	Open up.	May.	Jun.	Jul.	Ago.	Sep.	Oct.	Nov.	Dec.	Annual
Temp. max. abs. (°C)	19.9	22.9	25.7	30.7	33.8	36.8	38.2	39.8	38.1	32.2	26.9	22.8	39.8
Average temperature (°C)	8.9	9.7	13.4	19.9	24.6	27.8	31.5	33.3	28.8	22.9	17.0	11.6	20.8
Average temperature (°C)	4.6	5.1	8.4	14.2	19.0	23.0	26.8	28.2	24.1	17.8	12.1	7.0	15.9
Temp. medium (°C)	1.2	1.4	4.0	9.0	14.0	18.8	23.2	24.3	20.3	13.6	7.8	3.2	11.7
Temp. min. abs. (°C)	-11.9	-11.6	-8.2	-4.4	-0.3	4.9	10.6	12.8	7.1	0.2	-4.4	-9.4	-11.9
Total precipitation (mm)	50.3	68.3	113.3	115.7	160.8	214.0	220.4	132.1	176.2	120.9	71.3	48.0	1491.3
Nevadas (cm)	5	8	2	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	3	18
Precipitation days (≥ 0.5 mm)	7.8	9.2	11.9	10.6	11.4	12.9	12.9	8.7	11.0	8.8	7.6	8.1	120.9
Days of snowfall (≥ 1 mm)	3.1	3.9	1.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	1.2	9.2
Hours of sun	123.2	117.4	146.8	175.4	180.9	138.3	142.3	182.7	136.8	157.4	138.1	135.8	1775.1
Relative humidity (%)	66	66	62	59	62	67	70	66	68	68	68	68	65.8
Source No. 1: TERYM(WHY)
Source n.o 2: (Recordary Temperatures) θ) quotation1 -10 Wishlist)(.

Demographics

According to 2020 data, the city has an estimated population of 1,465,000 inhabitants, and a density of 1,770 inhabitants per km².

Figure of demographic evolution of Kyoto between 1890 and 2010

Politics and government

Kyoto Municipal Assembly

Kioto Town Hall Building.

Districts

Map of the districts of Kyoto.

The city of Kyoto is divided into 11 wards, called ku (区) in Japanese. They are the following:

• Fushimi-ku ()️
• Higashiyama-ku
• Kamigyo-ku
• Kita-ku
• Minami-ku (Ω)
• Nakagyo-ku (中文
• Nishikyo-ku
• Sakyo-ku (tax collectors)
• Shimogyo-ku
• Ukyo-ku
• Yamashina-ku

Together, they all make up the city of Kyoto, under a single mayor and city council. But unlike Tokyo's 23 special wards, Kyoto's are not separate municipalities and are internal subdivisions for municipal administration.

Economy

Industrial sectors

One of the main sources of its economy is tourism, since it has a large amount of historical, social and cultural heritage. It is also worth noting the presence of large companies such as the famous Nintendo, whose headquarters are located in this city.

Tourism

Tourists photographing typical architecture buildings in Kyoto.

The Japanese film and television industry is centered in Kyoto. Numerous jidaigeki (samurai action films) have been shot in the Toei Uzumasa Eigamura, one of the city's neighborhoods. Tourist attractions include a film studio and a theme park, the Eigamura, with replicas of traditional Japanese buildings used for jidaigeki. Sets include a replica of the old Nihonbashi (the bridge at the entrance to Edo), a traditional courthouse, a Koban from the Meiji period, and part of old Yoshiwara, the old red light district from Tokyo. Current movie shooting takes place from time to time, and visitors can watch it.

Architecture

Historical monuments

The Historical Monuments of Ancient Kyoto (Kyoto, Uji and Otsu Cities) were declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1994. Kyoto is considered the cultural center of Japan, and has some of the most famous Buddhist temples, Shinto shrines, palaces and gardens in Japan.

• The Kamigamo Sanctuary (CONFIDENCE, Kamigamo Jinja^?).

• The Shrine Shimogamo (أعربية, , Shimogamo-jinja^?).

• The Temple of the West (consuming, Tō-ji^?).

• The Temple of Pure Water (Русский, Kiyomizu-dera^?).

• The Enryaku-ji ()..

• The Daigo-ji ()..

• The Ninna-ji (和.

• The Byōdō-in (CHUCKLES)

• The Ujigami Sanctuary (▼, , Ujigami Jinja^?).

• The Kōzan-ji (LINING) or also called (尾のの尾, Toganoo-san Kōzan-ji^?).

• The Tenryū-ji (, '^?).

• The Temple of West Fragrances (Facilitation, Saihō-ji^?).

• The Temple of the Golden Pavilion (OUR OVERVIEW, , Kinkaku-ji^?).

• The Temple of the Silver Pavilion ( , , Ginkaku-ji^?).

• The Temple of the Peaceful and Peaceful Dragon (한 龍 龍 龍 龍 。, Ryōan-ji^?).

• The Nishi Honganji (∙ inclusiveness, Nishi Hongan-ji^?).

• The Nijō Castle (☰, Nijō-jō^?).

Cultural heritage

The Heian Jingū (target מוה).

With its approximately 2,000 temples or shrines (of which 1,600 are Buddhist and 400 Shinto), as well as palaces, gardens, and other sites, it is one of the best-preserved cities in Japan. Some of the most famous temples in Japan are Kiyomizu-dera (清水寺, Pure Water Temple), a magnificent wooden temple supported by pillars on the side of a mountain, and Kinkaku-ji (金閣寺)., or the Temple of the Golden Pavilion. The Ginkaku-ji (銀閣寺), or the Temple of the Silver Pavilion, the Ryōan-ji, famous for its rock garden. Also notable is the Heian Jingū (平安 神宫), a Shinto shrine built in 1895 in commemoration of the 1,100th anniversary of the construction of Heian-kyō. The building is dedicated to the emperors Kanmu and Kōmei as the first emperor to inhabit in Kyoto and the last one who resided there before the transfer of capital, respectively.

On the other hand, the people of Kyoto speak a dialect known as Kyotoben, a slightly archaic version of Kansaiben. The Kyotoben word to say "thank you" - "ooki ni" (In standard Japanese you would use "arigatō").

Three special sites have connections to the imperial family: the Kyoto Gyoen area (京都御苑 , Kyōto gyoen< sup>?), including the Kyoto Imperial Palace (京都御所, Kyōto Gosho) and Sentō Imperial Palace (仙洞御所, Sentō- gosho) both residence of the Emperors of Japan for many centuries; the Katsura Imperial Villa (桂離宮, Katsura Rikyū) and the Shugaku-in Imperial Villa (修学院離宮, Shugaku-in Rikyū), one of the finest gardens in Japan. Other notable sites in Kyoto are Arashiyama and its lake. The popular neighborhoods of Gion and Pontochō, through whose streets it is possible to see numerous Geishas. The Path of the Philosophers (哲学の道, Tetsugaku no Michi), or the canals that mark the layout of many of the old streets of the city.

Temples

Temple of the Original Vow.

Kōshō-ji Temple.

• Sanjūsangen-dō (PHEACHING CHALLENGES).
• Temple of the Original Vow (日本語, , Hongan-ji^?).
• Nanzen-ji (PHONE)
• Temple of the East (▸, Sai-ji^?).
• Honnō-ji (solution).

Shrines

• Fushimi Inari-Taisha (). 荷のに。
• Heian Shrine (MERCHING, , Heian jingū^?).
• Sanctuary Yasaka ▷✅ cancer (Yasaka-jinja, ▷✅ cancer^?)

Palaces, fortresses and castles

• Fushimi-Momoyama Castle (見 margin, Fushimi-jō^?).
• Heian Palace (Phil.
• Imperial Palace of Kyoto (, , Kyōto Gosho^?).
• Imperial Palace Sentō (, Sentō-gosho^?)
• Imperial Villa Katsura ( , Katsura Rikyū^?)
• Imperial Villa Shugaku-in ( 学 学, Shugaku-in Rikyū^?)

Gardens

• Shosei-en
• Kyoto Botanic Garden (cf. Kyōto Furitsu Shokubutsuen).
• Garden of Fine Arts (Environment gaining recognition).

Arts and culture

Museums

Facade of the National Museum of Kyoto.

Kyoto, as a prominent cultural city, has a large number of museums and cultural centers, perhaps the most prominent being the Kyoto National Museum, the International Manga Museum, the Umekōji Steam Locomotive Museum, or the Ryozen History Museum, to which should be added the Kyoto Municipal Zoo (the second opened in Japan after Tokyo).

Cultural events

The city is well known for its traditional festivals that have been held for over 1,000 years and are now the city's biggest tourist attraction.

• Aoi Matsuri: It is the first of the festivals, also known as the Kamo Matsuriheld on 15 May. It has its origins in the time of Emperor Kinmei (approximately 1400 years ago) and its name comes from the tradition of offering geraniums (aoi) to the gods, accompanied by the decoration of the temples. The tradition for its celebration has continued unwavering since the Fujiwara Era and continues to be celebrated at all.

• Gion Matsuri: Months later this festival takes place between 1 and 31 July. It is known to be one of the 3 major festivals in Japan, along with festivals Kanda in Tokyo and Tenjin in Osaka. From 13th to 16th July, the Gion of Kon-chiki-chin is celebrated in every city where the picas are made, arrives at its climax on the 17th, with the massive parade of floats Yamaboko (Yamaboko Jyunkou).

• Bon Odori: On August 16 this event takes place (which is held next to the Gozan no Okuribi) and which consists of the firefight in the mountains to guide the spirits in their return home. Its origins are diffuse: etchings from the beginning of the Edo epoch show that it already existed and, according to tradition, its origins are found when the monk Kobo-Daishi, in prayer for the end of a prayer, made a representation of the (Dai) in fire. The 5 fires in Gozan (Daimonji, Myoho, Funagata, Hidari-daimonji and Torii-gata) are lit simultaneously and creating one of the most memorable summer scenes in Kyoto.

• Jidai Matsuri: Finally, on October 22 the so-called "Festival of the Ages" (or of the years), which celebrates the most illustrious historical past of Kyoto. It has been celebrated since the end of the 19th century, in 1895, when the 1100th anniversary of the transfer of the capital to Kyoto, then called Heian-kyō. It begins in the morning, when a comitiva starts from the Heian Sanctuary to the Imperial Palace, and, at sunset, processions representing several historical epochs cross and return to the point of origin. As a curious fact, it emphasizes that after one hour of having begun, the cultural and historical evolution in the change of the clothing is recreated in the community.

• 

  Gion Matsuri祭)

• 

  Aoi Matsuri (Aoi Matsuri)祭)

• 

  Jidai Matsuri)

• 

  Gozan Okuribi (Русский)

Gastronomy

It is also especially known for its abundance of delicious Japanese school meals. Kyoto's special circumstances – being a city located far from the sea and home to numerous Buddhist temples – have resulted in the development of a numerous variety of vegetables native only to the area around the city (kyōyasai, 京野菜).

Education

College Education

Watch tower, usual congress headquarters at Kyoto University.

Kyoto is known for being one of the country's leading academic centers, home to some 37 institutions of higher education: Kyoto University (京都大学; Kyōto Daigaku), one of the Japanese national (public) universities, it is considered one of the best universities in Japan. According to the ranking list of the British magazine Times Higher Education, Kyoto University would be in second position among the Japanese universities and in the 25th position among all the universities in the world. The Kyoto Institute of Technology is also among the most famous in Japan and is considered one of the best university centers in the country for the studies of architecture and design. In turn, along with Kyoto, Doshisha and Ritsumeikan universities are the most popular in the Osaka-Kobe-Kyoto metropolitan area (although the latter two are private).

It is also known for having a unique network of higher education centers, the so-called Kyoto Consortium of Universities, which has three national universities, five public ones, and 41 more private ones. This consortium does not offer any degree or degree, but teaches courses as part of the different degrees offered by the universities participating in the consortium. On the other hand, the Kyoto Consortium for Japanese Studies (KCJS, in Its English acronym) is an organization of 14 American universities that sponsors a study program, of two academic semesters, for students who wish to carry out advanced work in the Japanese language, as well as Japanese cultural studies. Among others, Stanford University has its own center in Kyoto.

Transportation

Railway

The thousand-year-old city is well connected by rail: Kyoto Station is the transportation hub in the city, and as Japan's second largest rail station, it houses a shopping mall, hotel, cinema, and various local government facilities, all under a fifteen-story roof. The main railway services are carried out by those belonging to the Japan Railways Group, of which the Tōkaidō Shinkansen line (the famous Bullet Train) is operated by JR Central while the rest of JR conventional lines are operated by JR West.

On the other hand, the Keihan Electric Railway, Hankyu, Kintetsu, and other railway operators also offer frequent service to other cities in the Kansai Region from this station. The JR West and Kintetsu Railway Companies connect directly to the station, while Hankyu maintains a terminus at the intersection with Shijō Kawaramachi, Kyoto's most prosperous and lively commercial district. Keihan's has a terminal in Sanjō Keihan, which is not far from the aforementioned district.

Subway

The Kyoto Subway (京都市営地下鉄, Kyōto shi-ei chikatetsu < sup>?, or Kyoto Municipal Subway) is the metropolitan railway that exists in this city. Modest in size, it only has two lines: Tozai (東西線, Tōzai-sen), and Karasuma (烏丸線, Karasuma-sen), both operated by the Kyoto Municipal Transportation Office (京都市交通局 Kyōto-shi kōtsū-kyoku).

• La Karasuma line: Receive the green color, and its seasons receive the number followed by the letter K. The tour goes from the north to the south of the city. All stations of this line are located in the city of Kyoto itself. The Transportation Office and Kintetsu Corporation jointly operate the service, which continues from the Kintetsu Line of Kyoto to Kintetsu Station in the city of Nara.

• La Line Tozai: Receive the bermell colour, and its seasons receive the number followed by the letter T. This line runs through the city from the southeast to the west, heading east-west. In the Tozai The services of the Keihan Keishin Line have been integrated, offering services from Hamaōtsu, in the neighboring city of Åtsu (capital of the Shiga Prefecture).

Air transportation

Haruka Express at Kansai International Airport at Kyoto Station.

Although Kyoto does not have its own airport, the city can be reached from Kansai International Airport and from Itami Airport (better known as Osaka International Airport), in Osaka Prefecture. The Haruka Express operated by JR West takes passengers from Kansai Airport to Kyoto Station in 73 minutes. On the other hand, there are buses that connect Itami Airport with Kyoto Hachijo Station in one hour and cost 1,280 yen for each one-way trip.

Sports

Football

In football, Kyoto is represented by the Kyoto Sanga F.C. team, which already won the Emperor's Cup in 2002, and the J. League Division 2 in 2005. Kyoto Sanga had a long tradition as a fan club, but Only with the advent of professionalization was he able to compete in the Japanese First Division. On the other hand, there are other football clubs made up of fans, such as Ococias Kyoto AC and the Kyoto Shiko Club (both splinter factions of the original Kyoto Shiko F.C., which became the current Kyoto Sanga) as well as other minor ones that compete in the Kansai Regional Soccer League.

Twin cities and Friendship Agreements

The city of Kyoto has been actively participating in the City Twinning initiative, mainly with cities in Europe, America and Asia:

• Paris (France): since 1958. (Only cooperation agreement, not twinning)
• Barcelona, Spain, since 2016.
• Boston, United States, since 1959.
• Cologne, Germany, since 1963.
• Florence, Italy, since 1965.
• Kiev, Ukraine, since 1971.
• Xi'an, People's Republic of China, since 1974.
• Guadalajara, Mexico, since 1980.
• Zagreb, Croatia, since 1981.
• Cuzco (Peru), since 1987.
• Prague, Czech Republic, since 1996.

Predecessor: Naples

Headquarters of the Sessions of the World Heritage Committee 1998

Successor: Marrakech