Japan Guide
Kyoto
Central Kyoto
Before the emperor moved to Tokyo in 1868, Kyoto's Imperial Palace symbolized the nation's physical and spiritual centre. Today's palace is by no means a high priority among Kyoto's wealth of sights, but it's a good idea to come here early in your stay to make arrangements for visiting the city's more rewarding imperial villas and gardens. If you're not pushed for time, then the Sentō Gosho garden, also in the Imperial Park, is worth seeing, but otherwise it's better to concentrate on Nijō-jō's magnificent screen paintings and the intriguing Nijō-jin'ya.