It’s no secret Japan has emerged as one of the hottest destinations globally post-pandemic. This March for instance, saw a record-breaking 3.08 million visitors to the country for the first time – an increase of 69.5 per cent from March 2023, according to the Japan National Tourism Organisation, much of it thanks to a weak yen currently.
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Aside from Tokyo, Kyoto is a major destination for both foreign and domestic tourists – people go there in search of a certain romanticised image of Japan, one that’s steeped in history and culture. They’re not wrong; Kyoto served as Japan’s capital for more than 1,000 years from 794 to 1,868; it’s the guardian to some of the country’s oldest traditions, and houses some 17 Unesco World Cultural Heritage Sites.
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Even today, Kyoto remains a small-ish, picturesque city that’s burnished with an abundance of temples and low-lying machiyas (traditional wooden townhouses), creating an aura of an anachronistic Japan for which time has stopped. But Kyoto isn’t just about age-old teahouses, stone gardens and geishas – if you’ve visited the usual tourist spots and are looking to discover a more design-centric side to this ancient capital, here are some of our picks within and around the city
AloJapan.com