Discover Kyoto's Hidden Gems: Top 12 Amazing Fun Facts about Japan's Ancient Capital

1. Capital City Shuffle

Talk about moving pains: You'd think that whenever an Emperor desired a change of scenery in Japan, the whole city of Kyoto would get packed up and shipped out, but that's not the case! This city didn't get to enjoy the title of the Japanese capital from 794 to 1868 because of some nomadic leadership – it was determined by the seat of the Government of Japan and the Emperor's home, which only moved from Kyoto to Tokyo in 1868. Even with whispers of relocating government functions swirling about, Tokyo still claims the crown as the de facto capital.
Source => en.wikipedia.org

2. Treasure Trove of Kyoto

Move over, Indiana Jones - Kyoto's treasure trove will make you swoon: With only 1 percent of Japan's population, the city holds more than 20 percent of the country's national treasures, boasting 17 UNESCO World Heritage sites including Nijo-jo Castle, Ninna-ji Temple, Ryoan-ji Temple, and Kiyomizu-dera Temple.
Source => timetravelturtle.com

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=> Fun Facts about Tokyo

3. Bamboo Wonderland

Feeling bamboozled? Get lost in a serene, mystical bamboo wonderland: Kyoto's Arashiyama district houses the breathtaking Arashiyama Bamboo Grove, accessible from the main street just north of Tenryu-ji Temple, and culminating in the beautiful Okochi-Sanso Villa atop the hill.
Source => insidekyoto.com

4. Tofu Takeover

Tofu's got it covered, in Kyoto, that is: A variety of tofu dishes, from yu-dofu to tofu dengaku, thrive in Kyoto's tofu culture, thanks to the region's high-quality soft water which contributes to the creation of delicious tofu, like firm momen, soft kinugoshi, grilled yaki-dofu, deep-fried abura-age, and atsu-age.
Source => kikkoman.com

5. Samurai Food Frenzy

In a food frenzy fit for a samurai showdown, Nishiki Market draws warriors from near and far, armed with chopsticks and a ferocious appetite for local delicacies: This gastronomical battlefield, established in 1615, sprawls across Nakagyo's downtown, boasting over 100 stalls and shops that dish out traditional Japanese street foods, refreshing beverages, and a tempting array of souvenirs.
Source => japancheapo.com

6. Thousand-Armed Savior

Who needs a thousand helping hands when you can have a thousand life-saving arms in Kyoto? Talk about divine intervention! Here's the serious reveal: The Sanjusangendo Temple in Kyoto is home to a 1000-armed Kannon, surrounded by 500 human-sized replicas, all to aid humans in their battles against suffering and to witness their struggles within Japan's longest wooden structure, measuring 120 meters, with Sanjusangendo's name being derived from the 33 intervals between its support columns.
Source => japan-guide.com

7. Nostalgia Express

All aboard the nostalgia express! Experience the days of steam-powered travel without the pesky top hat formalities: The Umekoji Steam Locomotive Museum in Kyoto houses 19 magnificent steam engines and railway relics, offering train aficionados and history buffs a delightful stroll through locomotive lore, and even a short steam train ride that chugs along for a quaint kilometer round trip journey.
Source => tripadvisor.com

8. Time-Travel Train Ride

All aboard the Time-Travel Express: The Sagano Scenic Railway in Kyoto is a quaint trip down memory lane, complete with wooden bench seats and nostalgia-inducing red-brick Saga Torokko Station, offering picturesque views of cherry blossoms and autumn foliage during its enchanting seven-kilometer journey along the Hozugawa River.
Source => jrailpass.com

9. Louvre of Manga

In a land where visual storytelling is as much a staple as sushi and ramen, there exists a magnificent cache of inked adventures, guaranteed to delight every sense of humor and taste for legend: Behold the Kyoto International Manga Museum, home to over 50,000 manga books collected from the Taisho era to 2005 - the Louvre of inky hijinks! Cutting the suspense short: the museum presents a riveting journey through manga's history, offers workshops such as Kamishibai storytelling and portrait-making with a skilled artist, access to over 250,000 private materials, and a searchable manga database of over 300,000 items.
Source => kyotomm.jp

10. Tea-riffic Uji

Tea-riffic times in Uji: the city in Kyoto not only teabags the competition with its awesome tea production but also offers tea enthusiasts the unparalleled experience of brewing the perfect cuppa in authentic tea houses like Taihoan, partaking in matcha grinding classes at Fukujuen Ujicha Kobo, and sipping on tea made from powdered tea leaves with expert guidance from certified tea instructors at Takumi no Yakata.
Source => japan-guide.com

11. Neapolitan Temple

You might say that Kinkaku-ji, a Zen Buddhist temple in Kyoto, is the architectural equivalent of a Neapolitan ice cream: each floor with its own distinct flavor, it's a three-layer delight that will satisfy your craving for ancient Japanese styles! Here's the scoop: the first floor is crafted in the Shinden style, a nod to Heian Period palace architecture; the second presents the Bukke style, reminiscent of samurai residences; and the third serves up the Chinese Zen Hall style, bringing it all together for the ultimate cultural parfait.
Source => japan-guide.com

12. Cherry Blossom Billions

Who needs 50 shades of pink when you can have millions of cherry blossoms fueling a petal-storm worth billions: Kyoto's sakura season draws over 63 million visitors, contributing a whopping $2.7 billion to Japan's economy, with a monitoring system of 59 specially-selected trees that predict peak bloom times as climate change threatens to shift traditional bloom periods.
Source => journal.rikumo.com