KYOTO

Kyoto prefecture is located in the south of the mainland, with its capital city (Kyoto) nestled in a picturesque basin surrounded on three sides by mountains. As it was Japan’s capital for over 1,000 years, Kyoto is synonymous with traditional Japanese culture and cuisine.

As is common in Japan, many of Kyoto’s ancient buildings have been lost and rebuilt due to fires, earthquakes and war. However, it was one of the cities spared during World War II bombings and now contains many well-preserved properties making one of the world’s largest collections of UNESCO World Heritage Sites (17).

The gardens, shrines, temples, palaces and traditional wooden architecture of Kyoto are an exquisite window into Japan’s past. This prefecture also has many designated National Parks and the surrounding mountains offer excellent hiking opportunities at any time of the year.