Visit Japan Web invites you to explore Kyoto, the capital of Japan and the residence of the emperor from 794 to 1868. It stands as one of the country’s ten largest cities accommodating 1.5 million inhabitants.

The service industry is the largest sector in the Kyoto city economy. Commerce and tourism are the most developed ones. The department stores in Kyoto city are mainly concentrated in the Shijo-Kawaramachi area as well as the Kyoto Station area. Supermarkets are mainly concentrated in the suburban areas along the railway lines.

The long-standing historical accumulation has endowed Kyoto with a rich historical heritage. It is one of the strongholds of traditional Japanese culture. Some historical buildings in Kyoto are World Cultural Heritage in 1994. At the same time, Kyoto Prefecture is one of the municipalities with a large population. So it served as the spiritual homeland of the Japanese people and a symbolic center of Japanese culture. Kyoto is constructed based on the prevailing Japanese aesthetic consciousness in the historical royal culture. There is a variety of historical buildings, gardens, paintings, traditional activities and Kyoto cuisine. All in all, it is famous as the Thousand-Year-Old Capital.

Throughout the ages, Kyoto endured numerous conflicts and conflagrations. However, owing to its extraordinary historical significance, the city escaped from both the roster of target cities for the atomic bomb and evaded devastation during World War II. Today, the city is home to a multitude of temples, shrines and other historically invaluable structures, undoubtedly attracting thousands of visitors.

Here are some places of interest that Visit Japan Web recommends.