Kyoto

Nestled among the mountains of the Kansai region of Western Honshu, Kyoto was the capital of Japan and the residence of the Emperor from 794 until the Meiji Restoration of 1868, when the capital was moved to Tokyo. During its millennium at the center of Japanese power, culture, tradition, and religion, it accumulated an unparalleled collection of palaces, temples and shrines, built for emperors, shoguns, and monks.

Kyoto was among the few Japanese cities that escaped the allied bombings of World War II and so still has an abundance of prewar buildings, such as the traditional townhouses known as machiya. However, the city is continuously undergoing modernization with some of the traditional Kyoto buildings being replaced by newer architecture, such as the Kyoto Station complex.

Kyoto does not have its own airport, but is served by Osaka's two airports, Kansai International and Itami. There is an excellent road and railway network between the two cities.

You can fly into Kansai International Airport ( ) in Osaka Bay and then get a train to Kyoto. Kansai Airport Station is opposite the arrival lobby where the Haruka limited express train, operated by West Japan Railway (JR West), can be caught.

The sheer size of the city of Kyoto, and the distribution of tourist attractions around the periphery of the city, make the city's public transport system invaluable. One of the easiest ways to plan a route is through Navitime.

This website contains station-to-station route plans, which reference public and private trains and subways as well as buses throughout Japan. If you are planning to travel beyond city limits you might consider using the tickets from Surutto Kansai.