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.
UNESCO World Heritage Site
Historic Monuments of Ancient Kyoto
Temples, shrines and gardens of Japan’s imperial capital.
Collections featuring Historic Monuments of Ancient Kyoto
More UNESCO sites in Japan
- Amami-Oshima Island, Tokunoshima Island, Northern part of Okinawa Island, and Iriomote Island
- Ancient Capitals of Asuka and Fujiwara
- Buddhist Monuments in the Horyu-ji Area
- Mount Fuji
- Gusuku Sites and Related Properties of the Kingdom of Ryukyu
- Hidden Christian Sites in the Nagasaki Region
- Himeji-jo
- Hiraizumi – Temples, Gardens and Archaeological Sites Representing the Buddhist Pure Land