Kyoto Between Temples, Gardens and History

Kyoto combines a long history with a wide range of impressions: temple architecture, gardens, museums and a lively food market each give the city a distinctive character. You can shape your trip around the themes that interest you most—from historic buildings to art and regional produce.

History in Buildings and Collections

Kyoto was founded in 794 on the model of the ancient Chinese capital. The city was a cultural centre and remained the imperial capital until the mid-19th century. You can explore this long history from different perspectives at various places: through buildings, museum collections and the art they preserve.

Nijo-jo Castle was the Kyoto residence of the Tokugawa shoguns from 1603 to 1868. The palace’s main room features painted screens created by artists of the Kano school. The site thus combines a specific historical function with a representative form of Japanese art.

The Museum of Kyoto also brings together the past and architecture. It is housed in a red-brick building that once served as the Bank of Japan’s Kyoto branch. The building is considered an important cultural property and is representative of late-19th-century Western architecture. The museum has permanent exhibitions on Kyoto’s history, as well as on fine art, crafts and film.

The Kyoto National Museum focuses on pre-modern Japanese works. Its collection includes more than 12,000 objects spanning fine art, crafts and archaeology; collection figures may be updated. Particularly noteworthy is the world’s largest collection of artefacts from the Heian period, which lasted from 794 to 1185. The year 794 thus features both in the story of Kyoto’s founding and at the beginning of this historical period.

Temples, Gardens and Religious Traditions

At Kiyomizu-dera Temple, the veranda projects out from the mountainside on wooden pillars 13 metres high. It offers a good view west across Kyoto. The structure makes its hillside setting immediately apparent, while the view brings the city into the temple experience.

Customs are also associated with the temple. Traditionally, visitors scoop water from the waterfalls using tin cups. Visiting the three streams is said to bring health, longevity and success in one’s studies. At Jishu-jinja Shrine on the temple grounds, people hoping for a romantic relationship walk with their eyes closed between two distinctive stones. If you would like to experience these practices yourself, check the current arrangements before your visit.

At Fushimi Inari Taisha, a seemingly endless path of more than 5,000 bright orange torii gates winds through the hills. Dozens of fox statues stand on the grounds. The fox is considered a messenger of Inari, the god of grain; the keys often depicted in the foxes’ mouths are said to be keys to grain storehouses. The path and statues can therefore be appreciated not only for their striking forms but also for their religious symbolism.

At Tenryu-ji Temple, a 14th-century Zen garden is the main attraction. The garden uses the nearby hills of Arashiyama as “borrowed scenery,” incorporating the surrounding landscape into its design. In autumn, the changing colours of the maple leaves add another seasonal impression. Architecture, garden design and the time of year each offer a different reason to take a closer look at the setting.

The Market and Travel Planning

The 400-metre-long Nishiki Food Market lies between Teramachi and Takakura. Vendors sell fish, meat, dried goods, side dishes, yuba and Kyoto vegetables. The range makes the market a distinctive way to experience the city’s food culture; individual vendors’ offerings may change.

If you are particularly interested in art and historical collections, you can make these a priority alongside the temples and Nijo-jo Castle. If garden design, religious customs or market produce appeal to you, you can focus on those instead. This kind of choice helps you tailor your holiday rental search to your own travel interests, without reducing every experience to a single idea of Kyoto.

Discover More Destinations

Discover more destinations: Kasagi, Seika, Wazuka, Kameoka, Nantan, Maizuru, Ayabe, Yawata.

For the main travel overview: Kyoto Prefecture.