In the 8th century, the young town of Kyoto took on a new dimension and became the capital of the Empire of the Rising Sun. The passing centuries added to this exceptional heritage and made the western metropolis of the island of Honshu Japan’s principal cultural centre.

Although Kyoto has modernised and lost the rank of national capital, it still has a special aura due to the hundreds of temples, palaces and gardens including the Nijô-jo (Shogun Palace), the Kinkaku-ji (Golden Pavilion) and the Ryôan-ji Buddhist temple, its finest specimens.