... has been Japan's capital for a long time. It has not been a mayfly
like Naniwa in Osaka, Otsu near Lake Biwa and Asuka, which is situated
south of Nara. In fact, only three former Japanese capitals were able
to survive for longer periods of time. Nara made it a couple of
decades, whereas Kyoto stood brave for more than a millennium. Tokyo
carries on bravely since 1886. Kyoto is a cultural heavy weight: it
is home to four king's palaces and hundreds of gardens and over 2000
temples and shrines. By now, fifteen of these attractions have been
added to the list of world cultural heritage. Every year millions of
tourists flock to Kyoto. No wonder that 11 out of the 33 temples of
the Saigoku Pilgrimage are situated in and around Kyoto .