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Welcome to Kyoto
 Historical Capital of Japan
The historical city of Kyoto is located in the center of the island of Honshu-largest of Japan's four main islands. Kyoto is situated in the Kansai region, one of the two major metropolitan regions of Japan along with the eastern Kanto region which is home to Japan's capital city of Tokyo. Other nearby cities located in the Kansai region include Osaka and Kobe.
Kyoto's greatest claim to fame is serving as the capital of Japan and the home of Japan's imperial family for some 1,100 years until the Meiji Restoration of 1868. Accordingly, Kyoto has earned a glowing reputation both in Japan and overseas as the historical home to many of Japan's traditional cultures.
Continuing Development as an Urban Conurbation
Today, the historical city of Kyoto is one of Japan's major urban conurbations. With a population of approximately 1.47 million, Kyoto is currently the sixth largest city in Japan.
Although Kyoto is widely known as the home to many of Japan's traditional cultural assets and as a major tourist destination, a lesser known fact about the city is that it is also houses several industries. Manufacturing industries account for 17% of Kyoto's total GDP, placing it in Japan's top five manufacturing cities. Among Kyoto's thriving industries are cutting-edge electrical, electronic and precision instrument, machinery and appliance manufacturing. Indeed, 2002 Nobel Prize winner, Koichi Tanaka, is employed by a company which has its head office and a manufacturing plant in the center of Kyoto.
International Tourism and Conventions
 Notwithstanding its state-of-the-art manufacturing industries, it is the tourism industry that forms the backbone of Kyoto's economy. Kyoto receives some 45 million visitors annually, and it is believed that the tourist industry generates approximately 1 trillion yen for the local economy. Accordingly, Kyoto has a wide variety of accommodation, an easily-navigable public transport system, and a wealth of information centers. Reflecting the large influx of overseas visitors, many of Kyoto's tourism facilities are fully geared up to receive and assist overseas visitors.
Kyoto is also home to a large number of international conventions, playing host to over 200 international conventions annually. The Kyoto International Conference Center opened in 1966 as Japan's first national conference facility, and perhaps the center's greatest claim to fame was to host the 3rd Session of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP3) at which the Kyoto Protocol was adopted.
History of Kyoto
 The city of Kyoto began its illustrious history as home to Japan's glittering imperial court culture and traditional culture in AD794 when Emperor Kanmu decided to transfer the capital to the Kyoto basin. The emperor modeled his new capital on the Chinese Tang dynasty (AD618-907) capital of Chang'an (present-day Xian), and named his new capital Heian-kyo, or City of Peace.
Heian-kyo witnessed the flourishing of Japan's imperial and aristocratic court culture. The Heian period (794-1185), named after the new capital, also witnessed the establishment of many aspects of Japan's traditional culture. Chief among these were the development of Japan's unique kana writing system, the founding of many temples and shrines which reflected the growing influence of Buddhism on Heian period emperors and aristocracy, and the blossoming of Japanese literature-marked in particular with the appearance of Genji Monogatari (Tale of Genji), often hailed as Japan's greatest literary achievement. As the birthplace of much of Japan's traditional heritage, Kyoto has left a lasting legacy on the cultural identity of all latter-day Japanese people.
The Warring States Period and Urban Development
 When power passed from the aristocracy to the new warrior class, contrary to its designation as the City of Peace, Kyoto became the scene of much military conflict. The late 15th century and early 16th century, in particular, saw military leaders attempt to extend their rule over the whole of Japan, and Kyoto became a constant battleground.
Today's Kyoto was largely formed by the military ruler Toyotomi Hideyoshi, who eventually managed to unify Japan in the late 16th century. Hideyoshi undertook a massive rebuilding project, adding the first new roads and streets since the city was originally built, and transferring the existing temples and shrines-which lay haphazardly around the center of the city-on a uniformly east-west axis. The Kyoto that greets present-day visitors closely resembles the vision that Hideyoshi had in mind for the city.
Tokugawa Ieyasu, Hideyoshi's successor as the ruler of a unified Japan, decided to transfer the headquarters of his shogunate government away from Kyoto. He set up his capital far away to the east and established the city of Edo (present-day Tokyo). Despite Hideyoshi's efforts to rebuild Kyoto, the city was suddenly stripped of its long-held political influence.
Transfer of the Capital to Tokyo and the Transformation to a Modern City
In the latter half of the 19th century, Kyoto again became the focal point for activities to overthrow the Tokugawa shogunate. The resulting Meiji Restoration of 1868 saw the fall of the shogunate and the restoration of political power to the imperial throne for the first time in some 700 years. However, Kyoto was not restored as the political capital of Japan-the new Meiji emperor was obliged to move residence to the city of Edo which was newly-named Tokyo (meaning eastern capital).
Losing its status as the capital and the home of the emperor for over 1,000 years was a huge shock to the inhabitants of Kyoto. However, the city soon set about putting this disappointment behind it by embarking on a range of modern development projects with much consideration given to ensure that these harmonized with Kyoto's 1,100-year history. The development projects included large-scale waterways, the establishment of Japan's first electric power generating facility and development of Japan's first municipal tram system.
During WWII, many of Japan's largest cities suffered heavy bombing. However, Kyoto was spared the ravages of war for the first time in its history. Accordingly, many of Japan's precious cultural assets and the city's historical traditions remain preserved today, and Kyoto continues to serve as a veritable treasure house of Japanese culture offering visitors from all over Japan and overseas the chance to experience firsthand the essence of Japanese culture.
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