We have known Japan to be a country wherein the rich tapestry of history and the innovative face of the future collide.
Many travellers had put Japan on the top of their bucket-list because a lot of positive reviews and comments had been cascaded through word of mouth and social media that Japan is really a progressive and hip country to be pay a visit to.
Whilst modernization had turned Japan into a mogul country when it comes to robotics and industrial invention, there are still some selected places in this strip of an island wherein they preserve the monuments and temples the best way possible.
Their connection to their roots had never been disconnected and it is with great pride that the air of history is well-observed all throughout the country. One solid city that portrayed both the nostalgic feel of the past and the frenetic look of the future is what we all know now as Kyoto.
LOCATION
Kyoto is located in a valley of greens and is part of the Yamashiro Basin. Kyoto is also known to be situated on the eastern side of the mountainous region of Tamba highlands.
This city sits atop a large natural water table which primarily provides the city with numerous freshwater wells. This city is also Japan’s old capital city. Kyoto, with a population of about 1.4 million inhabitants is Japan’s seventh largest city.
CLIMATE
Kyoto has a humid subtropical climate, featuring a marked seasonal variation in temperature and precipitation. Summers are hot and humid, though contrarily, winters are relatively cold with occasional snowfall.
Kyoto’s rain season begins around the middle of June and lasts until the end of July, yielding to a hot and sunny latter half of the summer. Kyoto, along with most of the Pacific coast and central areas of Japan is prone to typhoons during September and October.
TRANSPORTATION
Kyoto Station is the center for transportation in the city.
The second-largest in Japan, it houses a shopping mall, hotel, movie theater, Isetan department store, and several local government facilities all under one fifteen-story roof. The Tōkaidō Shinkansen Line as well as all conventional rail lines operated by JR West connects here.
The Kyoto Municipal Transportation Bureau operates the Kyoto Municipal Subway consisting of two lines: the Karasuma Line and the Tōzai Line.
Although Kyoto does not have its own airport, travelers can get to the city via Kansai International Airport and Osaka International Airport in Osaka Prefecture. The Haruka Express operated by JR West carries passengers from Kansai Airport to Kyoto Station in 73 minutes.
Osaka Airport Transport buses connect Itami Airport and Kyoto Station Hachijo Gate in 50 minutes and cost 1,280 yen for a one-way trip.
Some buses go further; make stops at major hotels and terminals in downtown area.
WHAT TO SEE
Shimogamo Shrine
The Shimogamo Shrine is part of pair of shrines known as the The Kamo Shrines, consisting of Kamigamo Jinja and Shimogamo Jinja. While they are a pair of shrines, they are not located together, but are around 2Km apart.
They are among the oldest shrines in the Japan. Along with several other shrines, temples and castles in the city, they figure among the “Historic Monuments of Ancient Kyoto” designated by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site.
Hirano Shrine
Hirano Shrine is a Shinto Shrine in Kyoto which is famous for its gardens and trees. Hirano Shrine is a popular place to view cherry blossom in late March and early April.
Hirano Shrine was established in 794AD by Emperor Kammu and has been the site of an annual cherry blossom festival since 985AD. Some of the buildings at Hirano Shrine date back to the 17th century.
Toyokuni Shrine
Toyokuni Shrine is built to enshrine Toyotomi Hideyoshi after his death in 1599 and features the first tamaya (alter for ancestor worship). Toyokuni Shrine and specifically the alter were destroyed by the Tokugawa clan and the site closed in 1615 to stop any further worship of Hideyoshi.
Toyokuni Shrine was restored in 1868. Toyokuni Shrine features the outstanding karamon gate, which is believed to have been moved from Fushimi Castle, and is a National Treasure. Toyokuni Shrine also possesses several Important Cultural Properties.
Daiho-In Temple
Daiho-in Temple is a Buddhist temple, which is one of the thirty eight sub temples of Myoshinji Temple which is within the large Myoshinji Temple complex in north eastern Kyoto. Unfortunately Daiho-in Temple is not normally open to the public.
Bokugoan
Bokugoan, also known as Ho-o-ji Temple, is a Buddhist temple that was originally established in Nagaokakyo-shi in the 6th century. Bokugoan was moved several times before 1888, when it was placed on its current site next to Nanzenji Temple in Kyoto.
Bokugoan is a sub temple of Nanzenji Temple. Bokugoan features a small Japanese promenade garden just inside the front gate of the temple, which the public can often see through the gate. This garden looks particularly beautiful when the autumn leaves are red and orange.
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