 |
|
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|
|
|
|
| ||||||||
|
|
|
| Capital | Kyoto |
| Region: | Kinki |
| Island: | Honshu |
| Area - Total |
Ranked 31st 4,612.71 km² |
| Population |
Ranked 13th 2,644,331 |
| Districts: | 12 |
| Municipalities: | 44 |
| ISO 3166-2: | JP-26 |
| Symbols | |
|---|---|
| Pref. Flower: | Weeping cherry blossom (Prunus spachiana) |
| Pref. Tree: | Kitayama Sugi (Cryptomeria japonica) |
| Pref. Bird: | Streaked shearwater (Calonectris leucomelas) |
Kyōto prefecture (京都府; Kyōto-fu) is part of the Kinki region on Honshu island, Japan. The capital is Kyoto. The city of Kyoto is so important and dominant that when people say "Kyoto" they almost always mean the city, rather than the larger prefecture.
Kyoto had been, for most of its history, the capital of Japan. Its history can be traced back as far as 6th century: in 544 A.D., the Aoi Matsuri was held in Kyoto to pray for a good harvest and good weather. In 741, the capital was moved to the palace called Kuni-kyo. In 784, the capital was moved to Nagaoka-kyo. In 794, Emperor Kammu moved the capital to Heian-kyo, the city that eventually became Kyoto. Even today, almost all of the streets, houses, stores, temples and shrines in the city of Kyoto remain where they had been placed from this year.
Kyoto has rarely been touched by war. In 1156 and 1159, two major battles, the Hogen Rebellion and the Heiji Rebellion, took place near Kyoto. In 1467, the Onin War took place inside Kyoto and many buildings were burned down. These three events are only times Kyoto had ever seen the war. Thus, when a Kyoto resident says "In the last war", it is most likely about 1467 and not World War Two, which claimed many lives elsewhere in Japan.
Kyoto Fu, or Kyoto prefecture, was established in 1868 following Meiji Restoration and in 1989, the City of Kyoto was officially born. In 1994, Kyoto celebrated the 1200th anniversary of the establishent of Heiankyo.
Kyoto prefecture is located near the center of Honshu. With an area of 4612.71 km², it comprises 1.2% of all the land of Japan, and ranks 31st in size among prefectures. To the north, Kyoto has a coast along the Sea of Japan and borders Fukui prefecture. Its neighbors to the south are Osaka and Nara prefectures. To the east lie Mie and Shiga prefectures, and to the west, Hyogo prefecture. The Tamba Mountains divide Kyoto in the middle, making the climate of Kyoto very different in the north and south.
It is commonly said that to be a Kyoto citizen, one has to live for 10 generations and this is not a joke.
The city of Kyoto is the tourist spot of Japan and many people come from far and wide to visit. Along with Nara, Kyoto is the favorite location for elementary and junior high school graduation trips.
A few of the festivals held in Kyoto are Aoi Matsuri (which dates from 544), Gion Matsuri (from 869), Ine Matsuri (from the Edo period, Daimonji Gozan Okuribi (from 1662), and Jidai Matsuri (from 1895). Every shrine and temple holds some sort of events and many of them are open to public viewing.
The city of Kyoto has the most world-renowned destinations in Kyoto Prefecture. These include Kiyomizu-dera, Kinkaku-ji, Ginkaku-ji, Sanjusan Gendo (with 1001 statues of Kannon), the Heian Jingu, Nijo Castle, Ryoan-ji, Toji and two thousand more Shinto shrines and Buddhist temples. Also visit the National Museum.
Outside the city, Byodoin and Mampuku-ji Temples in Uji rank as must-see sights. Iwashimizu Shrine in Yawata is worth a trip.
|
||||
| View Live Article | This article is from Wikipedia. All text is available under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License | |
||
