Kyōto

I

Introduction

Kyōto, city in Japan, capital of Kyōto Prefecture, located in west-central Honshū, Japan’s largest island. Kyōto served as Japan’s capital and the seat of the imperial court for more than 1,000 years, from its founding in 794 until 1868, when the emperor moved to Tokyo. The city is rich in historic and cultural sites, housing many of Japan’s most renowned temples, shrines, palaces, and gardens. It is famous for the preservation of traditional Japanese crafts, performing arts, religious observances, and cuisine.

Kyōto is one of Japan’s largest cities. It lies 370 km (230 mi) west of Tokyo and 45 km (28 mi) northeast of Ōsaka. The city and the rest of Kyōto Prefecture are part of Japan’s Kinki region. They are also located within the Kanshin (or Keihanshin) Industrial Zone, which also encompasses Ōsaka and Kōbe.

A landlocked city, Kyōto is surrounded on three sides by mountain ranges, and the Yamato plain—the heartland of ancient Japanese civilization—lies to its south. The Kamo River flows south into Kyōto from the northeast, while the Katsura River enters the city from the west and flows south. South of the city, these rivers merge with Ōsaka’s Yodo River, creating a water passage to the port of Ōsaka. The forested mountains that encircle the city abound with scenic streams, waterfalls, and trees that bear flowers in springtime and radiant foliage in autumn. The mountains produce hot, humid summers and cold winters with only occasional snowfall. Temperatures are typically highest in August, averaging 27° C (80° F), and lowest in January, averaging 3° C (38° F). The average temperature is 15° C (59° F). A rainy season of about four weeks occurs in June, and average yearly rainfall is 1,575 mm (62 in).

When the city was founded, it was called Heian-kyō (“Capital of Peace and Tranquility”). By 1185 it had become known as Kyōto, or “Capital City.” In the past, the city was also popularly referred to as Miyako (“The Capital”).

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II

Kyōto and Its Metropolitan Area

The city of Kyōto occupies 610 sq km (240 sq mi) in the southern part of Kyōto Prefecture and is divided into 11 ku (administrative wards). The original city was about 30 sq km (about 10 sq mi), and its growth was constrained by the Kamo and Katsura rivers to the east and west. Today, Kyōto encompasses what were once outlying rural areas, notably Arashiyama (in the district of Sagano) to the west and Fushimi to the south. Its metropolitan area includes the village of Ōhara to the northeast, the location of picturesque ancient temples; the valleys of Kibune and Kurama to the north, filled with resorts and mountain temples; and the city of Uji to the south, home of the famous Byōdōin and Manpukuji temples and known for its production of green tea.

Kyōto is home to many important temples and shrines relating to Japan’s dominant religions, Buddhism and Shinto (a religion native to Japan). The city also contains numerous castle and palace compounds and other historic structures. The spacious gardens and other areas surrounding these buildings make Kyōto’s green space more diverse than that of any other Japanese city. Because Japan’s zoning laws are lax, Kyōto’s cultural and historic sites are scattered among residences, businesses, and industries. In the city’s central district, the walled-off compounds of the old Kyōto Imperial Palace and Nijo Castle occupy prominent locations. In the south central district is Kyōto Station, the city’s main railroad station. The temples of Higashi (East) Honganji and Nishi (West) Honganji are located just north of the station, and the old entertainment district of Shimabara is located not far from Nishi Hoganji. The imperial villas of Shūgakuin and the Katsura Detached Palace lie near the city’s eastern and western edges.

Earthquakes, fires, and damage inflicted during civil wars have left few secular buildings that predate the 17th century in Kyōto. However, some important older temples remain. Development throughout the city has created an eclectic mix of old and contemporary architecture.

Following traditional Japanese patterns of urban architectural design, most buildings in Kyōto’s inner city are attached wooden row houses, usually narrow and deep. In many of these buildings, residential quarters are located behind or above commercial establishments that face the street.

III

Population

According to official prefectural estimates, in 2007 Kyōto Prefecture had a population of 2,562,282, while the city proper had a population of 1,389,595. Since the mid-20th century, Kyōto’s birthrate and population each have declined by about 20 percent. This decline is due in part to many young people leaving to pursue careers in the thriving economic centers of Ōsaka and Tokyo.

Non-Japanese people represent about one-fifth of the population in Kyōto Prefecture and nearly one-third of the population in Kyōto proper. The largest group of non-Japanese are Koreans, many of whom are descendants of slave laborers brought to Japan following Japan’s colonization of Korea in the early 1900s. The Koreans face discrimination in employment and education, as do Kyōto’s burakumin. Burakumin are descendants of Japanese people who were traditionally treated as a separate population because they worked in professions considered unclean, such as disposing of the dead and slaughtering animals. Many Koreans and burakumin live in neighborhoods south of Kyōto Station.

IV

Education and Culture

An important research and educational center, Kyōto is home to nearly 50 colleges and universities in addition to many specialized educational institutions. Foremost among public institutions is Kyōto University (founded in 1897, Japan’s second oldest university). Universities with religious affiliations include Dōshisha University, one of Japan’s oldest Christian universities; Hanazono University, a center of Zen Buddhist learning; and Ōtani University, specializing in Buddhist studies. The Kyōto Prefectural Library and Archives contains more than 700,000 materials associated with Kyōto's history, culture, industry, and environment.

Kyōto is considered Japan’s preeminent center of traditional culture and religion. Numerous historic buildings and their elegant formal gardens preserve the aesthetics of premodern Japan. The city’s artisans are famous for their traditional arts and crafts.

There are more than 20 public and more than 100 privately founded museums in Kyōto. The oldest and most important museum is the Kyōto National Museum (founded in 1897 as the Imperial Kyōto Museum; reorganized as a national museum in 1952). This museum preserves and displays many of the finest art objects owned by the city’s temples and shrines. Other significant public museums are the National Museum of Modern Art, Kyōto, which opened in 1987 in a building designed by the internationally acclaimed Japanese architect Maki Fumihiko; and the Museum of Kyōto (founded in 1988), which focuses on the history and culture of the city. Among the many private museums are the former home of the potter Kawai Kanjirō; the Sen-oku Hakkokan, which houses the Sumitomo family collection of Chinese bronzes; the Chado Research Center, which contains art associated with the Urasenke Tea Ceremony school; and the Sumiya, a beautifully preserved high-class geisha house. Since World War II (1939-1945), many museums have been established to introduce Kyōto’s high-quality handicrafts to visitors. These handicrafts include woven and dyed textiles, incense, fans, dolls, Buddhist altars, wooden cabinetry, lacquerware, and ceramics. Among these museums are the Nishijin Textile Center and the Kiyomizu Pottery Complex.

Many matsuri (annual festivals) take place in Kyōto, featuring processions with hundreds of costumed participants. Several of these festivals are considered spectacular. The Aoi Matsuri (Hollyhock Festival) on May 15 begins at the Imperial Palace. The Mifune Matsuri, on the third Sunday in May, features decorated replicas of ancient boats on the Ōi River at Arashiyama. The well-known Gion Matsuri features a parade of giant floats in the Gion district on July 17, as well as other festivities throughout the month. During the Daimonji Gozan Okuribi on August 16, celebrants set five mountains on fire to bid farewell to the souls of the dead. The Festival of the Ages (Jidai Matsuri) on October 22 features several thousand participants in historic costumes who parade from the Imperial Palace to the Heian Shrine.

Performing arts troupes specializing in the traditional theatrical forms of nō and kabuki, as well as court dance and music, perform frequently, often at temples and shrines on special occasions throughout the year (see Japanese Drama). The Minamiza Theater, in the central Gion district, is Japan’s oldest kabuki theater. Kyōgen, farces written in colloquial language, are performed annually in April at the temple of Mibudera. Kyōto is home to Japan’s oldest public orchestra, which was founded in 1956. A wide variety of music and dance concerts—Western and Japanese, classical and modern—take place at the Kyōto Concert Hall or at ALTI (Kyōto Fumin Hall).

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