Kyoto, Japan
Located in the Kansai area of Honshu, the largest and most populated island in Japan, Kyoto serves as the capital of Kyoto Prefecture. With 1.46 million residents as of 2020, the city ranked tenth in terms of population in Japan. The city is home to more over half (56.8%) of the people in Kyoto Prefecture. With a population estimated at 3.8 million according to the census, the city serves as the cultural hub of the much larger Greater Kyoto metropolitan statistical region (MSA). Together with Osaka and Kobe, it is a component of the even larger Keihanshin metropolitan area.Emperor Kanmu selected Kyoto as the new location of Japan's imperial court in 794, making it one of the country's oldest cities. Heian-kyō, the original city, was laid out according to traditional Chinese feng shui, taking inspiration from the ancient Chinese cities of Chang'an and Luoyang.Kyoto is a popular tourist destination and is regarded as Japan's cultural center.Kyoto is one of the academic hubs of Japan, where 40 universities are located. With two Japanese prime ministers and eight Nobel laureates among its graduates, Kyoto University is highly regarded among all universities in the country.Numerous businesses and organizations run the rail transit systems that serve Kyoto. Kyōto Station, the city's primary gateway station, links a municipal subway line, five JR West lines, a Kintetsu line, and the Tokaido Shinkansen bullet train line.
