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The West Kyoto
by ALOHA DEAN
Kyoto was the capital or Heian Kyo of Japan from 794 until the transfer of the government to Tokyo in 1868 at the time of the Imperial Restoration. Located on the middle-western portion of the island of Honshu the city is surrounded by mountains.
Though archaeological evidence places the first human settlement on the islands of Japan to approximately 10,000 BC, the Kyoto area was not settled until the 7th century by the Hata clan from Korea. During the 8th century, when the powerful Buddhist clergy became meddlesome in the affairs of the Imperial government, the Emperor chose to relocate the capital to a region far from the Buddhist influence.
Because of the number of priceless cultural heritages in Kyoto, the city was not bombed during World War II. Today, it is the only major city in Japan that still has an abundance of prewar buildings, although modernization is continually breaking down the traditional Kyoto in favor of newer architecture, such as the controversial Kyoto Station complex.
