Kyoto is known as "Japan's heartland," because it has been a consistent repository of Japanese culture and religion. Kyoto was the capital of Japan from 794 until the Meiji Restoration of 1868 when the capital was moved to Tokyo (Edo). During that roughly thousand years, Kyoto was the center of Japanese politics, culture, and religion. Many palaces, temples and shrines were built in the city for emperors, shoguns, and monks. Kyoto was one of the few Japanese cities not bombed by the Allies in World War II. As a result, the city's many pre-war buildings still exist, such as traditional wooden townhouses (machiya). There also is a modern side to Kyoto with its hustle and bustle typical of most big cities and its modern buildings, such as the attractive Kyoto Train Station complex seen in a few earlier photos.
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