Population: 2,647,660 (13th in Japan)

Number of households: 1,063,907

Area (km²): 4,613.01 (31st in Japan)

Gross prefectural product (in billions of yen): 9,831 (13th in Japan)

Kinkaku-ji Temple

Row of houses along a city street

To-ji Temple

Kyoto Prefecture is located nearly at the center of Japan. In the north, the Sea of Japan coastline offers beautiful scenery, but snow frequently accumulates in fall and winter. The middle of the prefecture is mountainous while a plain spreads in the south. The southern area part has a milder climate due to the mountains.

Kyoto, with its rich abundance of historical landmarks and cultural properties is admired as the "spiritual heartland of Japan." Kyoto prospered for over 1,000 years as the capital of Japan from the end of the 8th century. The foundations for Japan's graceful sense of aesthetics were built during this millennium. Dignified beauty, as exemplified in imperial court literature, continues to show its great influence in the remaining Shinto shrines, Buddhist temples and gardens, as well as in traditional events, culinary culture and design.

Along with numerous outstanding traditional industries, including ceramics (Kiyomizu-yaki), textiles (Nishijin brocade), and dyeing (Yuzen), high technology thrives in Kyoto. The total sales of optical analysis equipment, machines and implements for physics and chemistry, pollution measurement devices and similar items is the greatest in Japan. In addition, the sales of green tea (gyokuro), unique local vegetables and other agricultural products is also great. The prefecture has 24 industrial parks, including Kansai Science City and other research parks, large-scale industrial parks and factory sites.

The long history, aristocratic legacy and other traditional culture remain deeply engrained in Kyoto. Furthermore, 17 Shinto shrines, Buddhist temples and other cultural properties have been registered as world cultural heritages, and visiting tourists come throughout the four seasons to see these shrines, temples and other historical structures, in particular. Sites famous for their natural environments are also numerous, with spring bringing flowering cherries, summer offering cool streams and fall the beauty of autumn leaves.