Kyoto: Overview

Kyoto will satisfy a Fuji-sized appetite for the classic Japanese aesthetic.

Kyoto, with its hundreds of temples and gardens, was the imperial capital between 794 and 1868, and remains the cultural centre of Japan. Its raked pebble gardens, sensuously contoured temple roofs and mysterious Shintō shrines fulfill the Japanese fantasy of every Western cliché hunter.

With an astonishing 1600 Buddhist temples, 400 Shintō shrines, a trio of palaces, and dozens of gardens and museums, Kyoto is Japan's cultural treasure house. Seventeen of Kyoto's ancient structures and gardens have been declared UNESCO World Heritage sites.

Fast Facts

Population

1,400,000

Currency

Name: Japanese yen
Code: JPY
Symbol: ¥

Electrical Plugs

Japanese-style plug with two parallel flat blades
100V 50Hz

Languages Spoken

Official: Japanese

Time Zones

GMT/UTC +9 

Country Dialing Code

+81

Weights & Measures

Metric

Traveller Tips & Discussion

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