Be Part of Kyoto
About Us
XXXXXX to Preserve Kyoto XXXXXX
Inspired by Tradition and Innovation, Committed to Preserving Kyoto Together
Kyoto is a rare city in the world. It is the place of origin of Japanese aesthetic values unique to the country and, at the same time, a still active creator of a new and unique culture, thereby serving as a source of inspiration for people around the world.
Kyoto City is currently in the midst of financial difficulties because it values the harmony between tradition, nature, and urban functions and protects its charm through strict regulations.
It is carrying out preservation activities to overcome such difficulties and preserve Kyoto for future generations. If people all over the world work together with us, Kyoto can survive as a beautiful city for another 100, if not, 1,000 years.
Through this web platform, we hope to interact and work with you to pass on Kyoto for the world to the next generation.
Mission
To unravel the components of Kyoto culture accumulated and diversified and to connect them to the future as the universal identity of Kyoto culture on a global scale for eternity.
Vision
To contribute to developing a sustainable world centered on culture by preserving Kyoto culture's dynamism through free and broad cultural exchange with the world.
Value
Dynamic preservation of the elements that make up Kyoto culture.
Contribute to the preservation of traditional industries, landscapes, and cultural assets that continue to embody the identity of Kyoto culture to the modern era.
Creating a new culture that contributes to sustainable development in the world by utilizing the preserved cultural identity of Kyoto.
Our Philosophy
On October 15, 1978, the City of Kyoto, with the approval of the City Council, issued the "Declaration of Kyoto as a City Open to the Free Exchange of World Culture," which called for the realization of world peace through culture, and since then, the Declaration has been positioned as the top-level city philosophy for all policies.
Declaration as a Cosmopolitan City of Cultural Freedom
Without ideals, no city can endure. When a city’s ideals are grounded in a clear understanding of the state of the world and a profound reflection on its own heritage, and its citizens strive to realize those ideals, the city will play a significant role in shaping world history. Guided by this conviction, we hereby declare Kyoto as a Cosmopolitan City of Cultural Freedom.
A Cosmopolitan City of Cultural Freedom is a city where people from around the world freely and peacefully gather for cultural engagement, regardless of differences in race, faith, or social systems.
Kyoto is a thousand-year capital that has preserved its rich cultural heritage and scenic beauty from one generation to the next. We must not, however, let pride in past glory make the city live in isolation. Kyoto must cultivate cultural exchange with the world, serving as both a timeless and innovative city of cultural achievement while aspiring to become a center of global cultural engagement.
A declaration of ideals is, of course, much easier than its execution, but we, the citizens of Kyoto, would like calmly to make this resolution and pledge our efforts towards what we can do for the realization of this ideal.
世界文化自由都市宣言
Kyoto City, October 15, 1978
The Kyoto Philosophical Charter
The Kyoto Philosophical Charter serves as the city’s compass for the next 25 years, from 2026 to 2050, guided by a vision that looks a thousand years ahead. Building on the ideals of Kyoto’s Declaration as a Cosmopolitan City of Cultural Freedom, adopted in 1978, the Charter defines the values that we, the citizens of Kyoto, should uphold and pass on to future generations, while presenting the city’s aspirations for the future.