Known for its breathtaking beauty, Kyoto is a unique city that blends nature and history. Located in the Kyoto Basin, Kyoto City is surrounded by gentle mountains in three directions. Its cityscape comprises a scenic waterfront along the Kamogawa River, the historic streets lined with many shrines and temples, some of which are components of the UNESCO World Heritage Site, and traditional buildings, such as townhouses called “kyo-machiya.” Throughout its history of more than 1,000 years as the imperial capital, Kyoto has fostered a rich and unique culture.

Its cityscape containing lush green mountains and rivers provides peace of mind and inspiration. Kyoto stands out by creating a sense of harmony with nature in the midst of a bustling metropolis.

The cityscape of Kyoto is not only a spiritual stronghold for people but also a symbol of the identity of Japanese people and a source of inspiration for people around the world.

Known for its breathtaking beauty, Kyoto is a unique city that blends nature and history. Located in the Kyoto Basin, Kyoto City is surrounded by gentle mountains in three directions. Its cityscape comprises a scenic waterfront along the Kamogawa River, the historic streets lined with many shrines and temples, some of which are components of the UNESCO World Heritage Site, and traditional buildings, such as townhouses called “kyo-machiya.” Throughout its history of more than 1,000 years as the imperial capital, Kyoto has fostered a rich and unique culture.

Its cityscape containing lush green mountains and rivers provides peace of mind and inspiration. Kyoto stands out by creating a sense of harmony with nature in the midst of a bustling metropolis.

The cityscape of Kyoto is not only a spiritual stronghold for people but also a symbol of the identity of Japanese people and a source of inspiration for people around the world.

Kyoto is a city where many elements of traditional Japanese culture have taken root, with thick layers of traditional performing arts and cultural practices, including Noh, Kyogen, and Japanese-style flower arrangement, accumulated over a history of more than 1,000 years. These are the fruits of the ingenuity and creativity of our predecessors in Kyoto, who have always been positive about accepting external stimuli and developing new things from them.

In addition, Kyoto City has over 3,000 designated and registered cultural properties, including 14 of the 17 components of the World Heritage Site “Historic Monuments of Ancient Kyoto.”

Based on this historical background, Kyoto City aims to create value by integrating all policy fields, such as industry, tourism, and education, with culture and art as its core.

Kyoto’s traditional industries have continued to develop throughout the city’s millennium-long history, still producing many kinds of traditional products. Kyoto today is home to 74 traditional industries, 17 of which are the creators of traditional crafts designated by the national government. Their products are made and processed by combining high-quality raw materials from various regions with the advanced techniques and skills of the organizations of specialist artisans, as well as their excellent sensitivity and aesthetic sense. These products have been highly valued by connoisseurs throughout Japan.

A wide variety of products thus created not only support traditional cultural practices and performing arts, such as tea ceremony, flower arrangement, incense ceremony, Noh and Kyogen, but are also an integral part of citizens’ lives in various fields, including food, clothing, and shelter, thereby forming rich lifestyles in Kyoto. Furthermore, in modern times, those sophisticated traditional techniques are applied to cutting-edge industries, including advanced ceramics and biotechnology, playing an indispensable role in the development of culture and industry not only in Kyoto but also in Japan as a whole.