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Welcome to Kyoto
Attractions
Kyoto is the perfect place to experience the quintessence
of traditional Japanese culture. Successive generations of
Japan's imperial family and military rulers have contributed
to Kyoto's lasting legacy through the establishment of Buddhist
temples and Shinto shrines which served as cultural and intellectual
centers of excellence. As a result, visitors today are greeted
by a wealth of traditional cultural heritage representative
not only of the city of Kyoto, but the whole of Japan.
 Due
to its location as the scene of many battles which raged during
Japan's Warring States period (1467-1573), Kyoto retains few
structures that were built during the city's original Heian
period. However, military rulers from the Muromachi period
(ca. 1338-1573), the succeeding Warring States period and
the Edo period (1603-1867)-when the shogunate transferred
its seat of government to the city of Edo, all contributed
to the revitalization of Kyoto by rebuilding previously destroyed
temples and shrines. The present-day visitor is therefore
also able to experience firsthand a history of Japanese aesthetics
since the Heian period.
The highlights of Kyoto's cultural assets range from the temples,
shrines and Buddhist images that date back before the Warring
States period to the painted folding screens and other fine
arts from the latter Warring States period to the Edo period.
Many of these cultural assets have been designated as National
Treasures or Important Cultural Properties. They are often
stored and preserved at temples or shrines and are frequently
exhibited for public viewing.
The historical cultural assets of Kyoto have received wide
international acclaim. In 1994, the United Nations Educational,
Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) inscribed a
total of 17 historic monuments of the ancient capital of Kyoto
(including the nearby cities of Uji and Otsu) as a World Heritage
Site.
Traditional Crafts
 A
thriving crafts industry grew up in Kyoto during its earliest
days to produce fine clothing and everyday goods for those
who served the imperial court. Under the patronage of later
military rulers, this craft industry grew from strength to
strength, and during the Warring States period manufacturers
and commercial traders of these crafts formed their own autonomous
guilds and organizations. The finely-honed techniques that
these craftsmen developed over the centuries are still meticulously
preserved by traditional craftsmen and artisans today.
Among the most well-known of these traditional crafts are
the production of fabrics, the fabric-dyeing processes and
manufacture of the adornments that together go to create Japan's
traditional attire, the kimono. Kyoto is also famous for the
production of refined porcelain utensils used for Japan's
traditional tea ceremony which flourished during the latter
16th century.
The Japanese Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI)
has officially designated approximately 200 traditional crafts
across the whole of Japan, and 17 of these are based in the
city of Kyoto. The artistic value of many of Kyoto's traditional
crafts has been highly praised, and many of these are available
to view at the website of the
Kyoto Museum of Traditional Crafts (Japanese only)
Traditional Performing Arts
Not only is Kyoto home to such cultural attractions
as temples, shrines, Buddhist images and exquisitely-painted
folding screens, but also plays an important role in the history
of Japan's traditional performing arts.
The performing art of Noh originates from the mid-14th century,
and is thought to be the world's oldest extant performing
art. In addition, it is documented that the widely popular
performing art of Kabuki was first performed in Kyoto at the
beginning of the 17th century. Although Kabuki later went
on to enthrall audiences in the cities of Osaka and Edo, its
roots are firmly set in Kyoto. Both of these performing arts
have been designated by UNESCO as Masterpieces of the Oral
and Intangible Heritage of Humanity, and performances still
take place regularly in Kyoto.
Along with the traditional performing arts, Kyoto also boasts
such historical attractions as the tea ceremony and the Japanese
art of flower arranging known as ikebana. Both these arts
rose to prominence under the patronage of the military rulers
of the late 16th century, and although several different schools
of interpretation now exist for both these art forms, there
are several venues in Kyoto that provide explanations and
opportunities for overseas visitors to experience the poetic
beauty of these arts for themselves.
Climate
The average temperature in Kyoto is 15.8C°. The city
is situated in a basin flanked to the east, west and north
by mountains. Accordingly, Kyoto experiences several seasonal
climatic extremes, with temperatures in the summer months
regularly rising to over 30C°, while in the winter months
temperatures fall sharply. Traditional Kyoto houses have been
designed and constructed with these climatic extremes firmly
in mind.
However, the Seventh Annual Conference of the International
Competition Network (ICN) will be held in April-widely held
by residents and visitors alike to be the perfect month for
a visit to Kyoto. The average temperature in April is 15.1C°,
with the highest recorded temperature for April being 26.7C°,
and the lowest recorded temperature for April being 4.8C°.
Access
From Overseas
The closest international airport to Kyoto is the Kansai International
Airport situated in the neighboring city of Osaka. Convenient
ways to travel to Kyoto include the Japan Railways express
train (Haruka), which takes approximately 75 minutes, or the
express bus service, which takes approximately 95 minutes.
Visitors arriving at either the Tokyo Narita International
Airport or the Central Japan International Airport, located
close to the city of Nagoya, can experience a ride on Japan's
famous shinkansen bullet train. The fastest shinkansen train
(Nozomi) makes the journey from Tokyo to Kyoto in two hours
and ten minutes, while Kyoto can be reached from Nagoya by
the Nozomi shinkansen train in only 40 minutes.
For more details, please visit the website at http://hellokcb.or.jp/eng/kyoto/access/index.html
Urban Transport
Kyoto has two major subway lines running from north-south
and east-west. Several Japan Railways and private lines link
Kyoto with nearby cities.
The Subway Karasuma line runs directly from the main Kyoto
Station to Kokusaikaikan Station-the final stop on the line
and the closest station to the Kyoto International Conference
Center, where the ICN annual conference is to be held. The
one-way journey takes approximately 20 minutes.
Please note that there are a number of public bus services
in Kyoto, but the bus routes can be very difficult for overseas
visitors to negotiate.
For further details on Kyoto, please visit the website of
the
Kyoto City Tourism & Culture Information System or
Kyoto Convention
Bureau.
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