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Kyoto

Tony Clemens
2005-08-31 22:08:29

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When most people think Japan they think of Tokyo, the capital and one of the world's largest cities, so why did I want to visit Kyoto instead?

Kyoto was Japan's capital for over a 1000 years until the capital was moved to Tokyo in 1868 which means it's the more historic city. Kyoto possesses the largest concentration of cultural properties in Japan, 17 sites are on the World Heritage List. Built in A.D. 794 on the model of the capitals of ancient China, Kyoto was the imperial capital of Japan from its foundation until the middle of the 19th century. As the centre of Japanese culture for more than 1,000 years, Kyoto illustrates the development of Japanese wooden architecture, particularly religious architecture, and the art of Japanese gardens, which has influenced landscape gardening the world over. It was also the largest city not bombed by the Americans during World War 2, although apparently it was on the short list for an atomic bomb. By war's end most Japanese cities had been reduced to rumble and there were few targets left.

Why was Kyoto spared? With few targets left and over a million people Kyoto would have been a prime target. Most people, including the Japanese, credit American scholar Langdon Warner who sat on a committee during the latter half of the war which endeavoured to save artistic and historical treasures in war-torn regions. The Japanese government gave him the Order of the Sacred Treasure. Another theory to explain why Kyoto was spared was that it was an US intelligence public relations stunt to quell anti-American sentiment in post war occupied Japan. Over 50 years later a lesson not learned as American troops sat by and did nothing while the Baghdad Museum was being looted.

Kyoto Station Area

Kyoto Station will probably be your first site you see when you arrive in Kyoto. Although there is a small regional airport near ...