Warning: many of you may want to scan this review, as it is far too long. Kyoto has a great deal to see though...

Kyoto gives its name to possibly Japan's most historically and culturally rich prefecture (kyoto-ken), and is contained within the Kansai region. The city itself which was then known as Heian-kyo, was used as the country's capital before Tokyo and shares this privilege with nearby Nara which predates it. Along with Osaka, Nara is also well worth a visit if you are interested in learning a little about Japan's history or seeing many of its most beautiful shrines and temples; many of which are national treasures, UNESCO sites or important cultural properties. The earthquake devastated and recently rebuilt Kobe is also an easy distance (all are reached within half an hour to an hour by train) from Kyoto, making it the best possible location to view many of the country's prime sites. Boasting more than 2000 shrines and temples, a number of palaces, gardens and museums you would need quite some time to feel like you have seen everything in Kyoto. To see the most major sites three days intensive sight-seeing will probably suffice - be warned though, you'll probably come away with plenty of blisters and tired feet and legs. Investing in a very comfortable pair of shoes or sandals is a must!

If you are intending on visiting Tokyo too, you may well wish to fly in and out of the country's capital. You can reach Kyoto by Shinkansen in two and a half to three hours by taking the train bound for Hikari. This is expensive, costing around 19,000 Yen if you reserve a seat and approximately 15,000 Yen if you don't (this includes the Express train from Narita to Tokyo airport too), but is easy to use and incredibly comfortable with enough room to recline my seat whilst resting my backpack against the seat in front. The reserved seat restricts you to a particular car and seat (the car position is marked on both the car and platform), which along with your start and end time are helpfully marked on your ticket.

STAYING IN KYOTO ON A BUDGET
On our visit we stayed in Kyoto on a fairly tight budget. As a result, our room was pretty basic. Kyoto has more than enough to fill a hectic itinerary, so if you are intending to use it as purely a base, I would recommend Uno House (tel: +81 231 7763 and is located off the Marutomachi-dori within easy walking distance of the Imperial park) although it does come with a few minor disadvantages. Dormitories and private rooms are available. Ours was a private room and provided us with clean linen and Japanese style futon (light mattresses placed directly on the floor). Showers and asian style toilets are communal. Unfortunately in the middle of the Summer these do tend towards being a little smelly. However the hostel is friendly and has cooking facilities, making 2,000 Yen per night seem pretty reasonable especially when you consider that most accommodation in Japan is much more expensive.

GETTING AROUND

A large number of places give leaflets in English, or have information printed on the tickets. Photograpy is permitted in most places, but keep an eye out for signs that state otherwise. It might be useful to know that 'ji' means temple, and 'jo' means castle, and that in these places you should assume that you will need to remove your shoes to enter any sacred areas.

- Ritsumeikan University Kyoto Museum for World Peace (Free)
We chose not to visit this Museum, but we walked past it on our way to Heian-ji. This museum is apparently very interesting, containing information on the Second World War that does not stint in its unflinching account of the atrocities Japan committed.

- Chion-in (400Yen)
This particular temple boasts the largest gate, and the largest bell in Japan. The bell itself would need the strength of 17 monks
to make it ring, and is located up a pleasant walk. The main temple building is enormous, and the scale is matched by the amount of gold on display.

I also particularly liked the dragon water feature that you use to wash your hands before you enter the shrine. Below the main hall is also a small waterfall called Otawa-no-taki that is believed to have therapeutic properties if you drink its waters. As everyone was using the same containers, we chose to miss the queues and walk on by.

It is also possible to take a walk called the Tetsugaku-no-michi from the Silver Temple. This takes in a number of temples as well as a lovely walk along the river which during the cherry blossom season (early April) and could well
take up an entire day if you wanted it too - as we didn't, we only stopped at a few.

- Eikan-do (500 Yen)
Yet another fine view of the city if visable from Eikan-do (originally named Zenrin-ji), which was named after a priest named Eikan who built a hospital for the poor within the grounds of the original 9th century temple. I especially enjoyed seeing the Mikaeri-no-Amida Buddha (Buddha Glancing Backwards) which was built after Eikan had a vision. Apparently the Amida Buddha stepped down from the shrine and walked ahead of Eikan telling him to stop dawdling. It is probably best to follow the arrows to enjoy everything; you can then put your shoes back on and enjoy the gardens, which include some wonderful sculptures and impressive buildings.

- Gion
Very few people will go to Japan without knowing a little about Geisha, and Gion in Kyoto has the largest concentration of this dwindling breed of highly trained attendants. Although you do feel slightly voyeuristic, Geisha spotting can take you through an area of Kyoto that seems to contain the contradictions of Japan. You'll walk along a main street with large shops (including an newly built expensively priced craft centre) and then suddenly find yourself walking along streets that have an unmistakable look of old Japan. I managed to glimpse one Geisha briefly, and we did find another woman dressed as one. We were both sceptical that she was a true Geisha due to the amount of photographs she was having with what appeared to be her family. Apparently girls can pay extortionate amounts to be made up as a Geisha for the day, and as she was obviously not 'rushing between appointments' we suspect she may well have been a fake.

- Kyoto Tower (770 Yen)
When there are so many beautiful views of Kyoto this tower does seem a bit overpriced. Although it gives you the best view of the entire city and could be a good way to orientate yourself at the beginning of a visit with the direction of the main attractions being marked on the windows, it really is nothing special. Slightly tacky exhibits on the third floor of the observatory, above the shopping centre, do at least give you a feel of the seasons and festivals of Kyoto.

-Nijo-jo (600 Yen)
Nijo castle is another interesting place to visit. Probably the most fun elements are the nightingale floors which were designed to sigh in order to signal the approach of anyone for the Shogun's bodyguards. No matter what nationality, everyone can be seen bouncing up and down on the boards or trying to tiptoe across them without making a sound. The building is impressive, with the beautifully painted screens being the main attraction. Another building is the Honmaru which was originally built in 1847 for Prince Katsura and later became the Imperial Palace, which was moved from the Imperial Palace grounds in 1893. Another pleasant view is visible from within the very attractive gardens.

I would recommend Zuzu, on a road off Pontocho-dori in an area that contains many different restaurants. Although the restaurant and bar is a little more expensive than most, it has plenty of atmosphere and a staff that speak relatively good English.

Different flavours of ice cream such as sweet potato and green tea are a refreshing change, along with a snack that contains similarities with slush puppies - ice flakes that have flavoured syrup poured over them.

As well as being very forgiving of the English not knowing their language, I found the Japanese to be incredibly helpful and friendly often volunteering help if they think you are having problems - although you should expect to be laughed at a little or questioned about England. The laughter tends to disguise their shyness but is much preferable to being scowled at as I think the English are particularly prone to do.

This trip was taken in August 2004. At this time of year Japan is very hot and humid. If you have fair skin it is essential that you use suntan lotion even when it is overcast. (That's the one time I got burnt!)