Regions & prefectures
JapanRegions & prefectures
Kyoto
Eleven centuries as imperial capital, sixteen hundred temples, and the tea of Uji.
- Capital
- Kyoto
- Status
- Urban prefecture (fu)
- Region
- Kansai
- Must-see
- The Golden Pavilion and the Fushimi Inari torii
- Local specialty
- Kaiseki, Uji matcha, yudōfu tofu
Founded in 794 as Heian-kyō on a grid modelled on Tang Chang’an, Kyoto remained the court’s seat until 1868. Spared the 1945 bombing, it keeps seventeen World Heritage sites and a fabric of art crafts, Nishijin weaving, yūzen dyeing, cabinetmaking, found nowhere else at this density. Uji to the south has grown tea since the twelfth century and supplies most Japanese matcha.
What to see there
Places, dishes and traditions tied to this territory.
MatchaPowdered Japanese green tea. Used in tea ceremony and many pastries.Chanoyu (Tea Ceremony)Japanese tea ceremony. Ritualized art of preparing and serving matcha, expression of wabi-sabi.YasukeFirst African samurai in history (16th century).Fushimi Inari ShrineTemple · Kyoto, JapanGion DistrictLandmark · Kyoto, JapanKinkaku-ji (Golden Pavilion)Temple · Kyoto, Japan
In the magazine
Articles that cover this topic.